South Toledo man is 6th slain in city in a month

Police yet to identify suspect, motive in north-end shooting

Tonya Patterson, Tyrone Patterson's aunt, shows a picture of him. She speculated Wednesday that he died in a robbery gone wrong.

In the deadliest month this year, Tyrone Patterson, Jr., became the city's sixth homicide victim of November when someone opened fire early Wednesday.

Patterson, 23, was shot twice, once in the hand and once in the chest, Lucas County Deputy Coroner Dr. Cynthia Beiser said. She did not know how far away the shooter was or what type of firearm was used.

Late Wednesday, police had not identified a suspect or motive in the slaying, the 27th in Toledo this year.

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By 2 a.m. Wednesday, Tonya Patterson had called two hospitals and visited another looking for her nephew after hearing he'd been shot.

After leaving Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center with no luck, she went to East Delaware Avenue and Walnut Street, where she found crime-scene tape and the flashing lights of police cars.

Her nephew's body was on the pavement, covered by a sheet. Toledo police found the body there when they arrived just after midnight Wednesday after responding to a call of shooting.

"I've been praying with all these murders every night and I never thought it would happen so close to home," Ms. Patterson said.

She said her nephew, who lived in South Toledo, was an "all-mighty jokester. He kept you laughing."

He had stayed out of trouble since being released from prison in 2010 after being found guilty of robbery, Ms. Patterson said.

She added that her nephew finished his probation in December and since had been "squeaky-clean." She said she doesn't think his death has anything to do with his criminal past, but that, perhaps, he was the victim of a robbery gone wrong.

"I always told him he carried too much money," she said.

Patterson might have been in the North Toledo neighborhood because it's close to where his girlfriend lives, Ms. Patterson said. His girlfriend was with him when he was shot.

"I don't know what happened to the value of life," Ms. Patterson said. "This is ridiculous. I was born and raised here, and I've never felt so ill about my city."