Police continue to investigate South Toledo homicide

Quincy Holmes, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene after his vehicle crashed into a South Toledo apartment building, according to Toledo police.

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Quincy Holmes, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene after his vehicle crashed into a South Toledo apartment building, according to Toledo police.

Toledo police continue to investigate the city’s first homicide of 2018, a killing that occurred while the victim, who faced charges related to a December shootout between two vehicles, was free on bond.

Quincy Holmes, 24, of the 1300 block of Western Avenue was pronounced dead at the scene after his vehicle crashed into a South Toledo apartment building early Monday. 

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When Mr. Holmes was removed from the car, a bullet hole was discovered in the door, police said. Mr. Holmes was shot at least once, causing his death, the Lucas County Coroner’s Office determined.

Investigators believed Mr. Holmes was involved in a Dec. 6 shoot-out between two vehicles in West Toledo. He was charged following that incident with discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony, and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony. 

Mr. Holmes drove a vehicle and fired several rounds at another car while they both traveled at high speed near Lewis Avenue and Dryden Drive, according to an affidavit filed in Toledo Municipal Court. Nearby Whittier Elementary School went on lockdown for about 40 minutes.

Later that day, police officers exchanged gunfire with a group of armed men about 7:30 p.m. at a Monroe Street carryout. Three men were arrested after that shootout. Local law enforcement leaders held a news conference the next day and framed the arrests as a significant blow to a wave of gun violence in Toledo.

Sgt. Kevan Toney, the Toledo Police Department’s spokesman, said Wednesday he could not release additional details about the Dec. 6 shooting incident in which police believe Mr. Holmes was involved, though he said detectives are investigating if that incident is connected to his killing. 

Investigators continue to look into all details of Mr. Holmes’ slaying, including Mr. Holmes’ whereabouts and destination that night, his associates, and how exactly he was shot.

“To my knowledge, we don’t have the location narrowed down, where the shot came from, and at what point the bullet entered the vehicle and struck him,” Sergeant Toney said.

A motive for the shooting was not known, and there have been no arrests.

Toledo Municipal Court Judge Timothy Kuhlman set a personal-recognizance bond for the two felony offenses stemming from the Dec. 6 shooting, meaning Mr. Holmes was able to be released from jail following his Dec. 7 arraignment.

Judge Kuhlman on Wednesday said bond is set based on a person’s likelihood of reappearing in court or committing a new violation after release.

Mr. Holmes, who was previously convicted of a minor misdemeanor offense, showed up to court for his current charges and was not charged with additional crimes, the judge said. His next hearing was scheduled for Feb. 13 in municipal court.

“We set the bonds based on risk,” he said. 

In 2015, local courts adopted a public-safety assessment method to help judges evaluate a defendant’s risks of flight or additional trouble while awaiting trial.

“It’s not that we never consider the charges. But when I’m setting bond, I’m not establishing the punishment,” Judge Kuhlman said.

When asked about Judge Kuhlman releasing Mr. Holmes on bond, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said: “Judge Kuhlman is an individually elected official. The judicial system depends on his good judgment. And, I think, in a situation like this, the citizens should rely on Judge Kuhlman to do the job that he was elected to do.”

Mayor Kapszukiewicz added he has “faith that Judge Kuhlman exercised his best judgment and applied the law as he interpreted.”

The mayor also said he spoke with Toledo Police Chief George Kral about Mr. Holmes and his case. 

“And I can tell you that, from the policing standpoint, I am impressed and satisfied that the police department has responded to this situation in a professional and serious manner,” he said.

Chief Kral could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening.

Attempts to reach Mr. Holmes’ relatives or friends were unsuccessful.

Staff writer Mike Sigov contributed to this report.

Contact Allison Reamer at areamer@theblade.com, 419-724-6506, or on Twitter @AllisonRBlade.