An armed man allegedly tried to attack Ohio Democrat gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton while she was campaigning at the Canfield Fair on Sunday afternoon, according to Acton's campaign.
According to reports, the man lunged at the candidate, injuring multiple other people in the process. Rep. John Boccieri (OH-16), a Democrat candidate for the Ohio House, witnessed the incident and said that "her security detail intercepted and restrained the man before he could reach her." He noted that, thanks to the immediate response of the candidate’s security detail, no one was seriously injured.
"Dr. Acton and Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured," according to a statement from Addie Bullock, communications director for for the Acton campaign.
Connie Luck, a spokesperson for Acton's opponent, Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, condemned the attack.
"Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence. What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt," Luck said in a statement.
The suspect allegedly was armed.
Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene tells 21 News that the suspect is expected to be charged with two counts of assault and one count of disorderly conduct. Sheriff Greene says that two older adults were knocked over during the incident.
The suspect was holding a phone or a type of camera during the incident. However, two firearms were discovered on their person.
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