Lucas County prosecutors on Friday dismissed all charges against Eljay Crisp-Carr, 20, one of the men accused in a June 6 shooting at Toledo's Old West End Festival that wounded 12 people^3,5.

Jennifer Liptack-Sutphin, chief of criminal prosecution for the Lucas County Prosecutor's Office, told Judge Lori Olender in Common Pleas Court that the charges should be dropped because of new and developing evidence³. Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates said the state asked the court to dismiss without prejudice, and that in September her office told Crisp-Carr's lawyer of discovery that may support his defense⁵.

Crisp-Carr had been in jail about five months after his arrest^3,5. His lawyer, Alex Bodiford, objected to a dismissal without prejudice, which would allow charges to be refiled, and said his client did not want the case hanging over him³. The judge said that condition is standard in such dismissals and also dismissed a probation violation filed after the arrest³.

Bates said the Toledo Police Department continues its investigation and that her office remains committed to following the evidence^3,5. Toledo police Sgt. Mohamad Nasser said the investigation remains active and that the department is working with prosecutors to hold those responsible accountable⁵.

Crisp-Carr and Ka Nye Taylor, 20, were indicted June 24 on dozens of counts including first-degree attempted murder and second-degree felonious assault, plus lesser charges including alleged gang involvement^3,4. Police had identified Crisp-Carr as one of two men whose exchange of gunfire wounded 12 people, including Taylor, who is believed to have shot himself in a hand³. Crisp-Carr told WTVG he was not at the festival⁵.

Bodiford's motion to dismiss said the identification was of a masked man with long dreadlocks and that another possible suspect could have been that person³. The motion said Crisp-Carr's cell-phone records showed he was elsewhere with car trouble, and a doorbell camera showed him there about 20 minutes after the shooting in different clothes³.

Taylor remains in jail, with a next court date of Nov. 9³. Markel Watson, 17, remains in juvenile detention accused of trying to steal a gun recovered at the scene from a sheriff's deputy, with a hearing set for Nov. 20³. None of several other people named in the defense motion as potential suspects has been charged³.