Columnist Eric Zorn wrote an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune on April 6, 2021, saying it was "too early to say with confidence" what happened and thus Toledo should not be portrayed as a "martyr" until more facts come out. His comments were received with outrage. Days later in another op-ed, Zorn wrote that the "less supportive response" to his comments "took fair exception to my chilly, analytical tone... I regret that tone. In focusing on details and marshaling evidence and arguments, I can neglect the emotional resonance in situations, as though I’ve forgotten or don't care that a child who was loved has died... I should have done better."
