Overview
- An armed man rushed toward Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton at the Canfield Fair, knocking down several attendees and injuring multiple people while Acton was not hurt, according to her campaign and law enforcement after the incident on Sunday.
- Mahoning County authorities identified the suspect as 38-year-old Patrick Havas and said officers recovered two handguns and brass knuckles along with a reported Taser, though officials say the weapons were not unholstered or used.
- Acton’s security detail, made up of Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, intervened and helped subdue the suspect before Canfield Fair police took him into custody and booked him on expected charges including two counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of disorderly conduct.
- Acton stayed at the scene to assist an injured attendee, returned to the campaign trail the next day, and political leaders from both parties publicly condemned the attack while praising the law enforcement response.
- The Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio State Highway Patrol continue active investigations, and the episode has prompted renewed scrutiny of how campaigns balance voter access with protective measures in a closely watched Ohio governor’s race.