Deadly shooting in Texas park leaves two dead and six injured, including children

The Juneteenth celebration at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, Texas, turned into a nightmare when a shooting occurred late Saturday night that left two people dead and six injured, including two children. Related Press has reported.

The victims were shot shortly before 11 p.m. on Saturday during a Juneteenth celebration at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, about 30 kilometers north of Austin.

This is what happened

During a concert, an altercation broke out between two groups and someone started shooting, Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said during a news conference at the scene. He added that the two victims, who were pronounced dead at the scene, were not involved in the altercation. The shooting occurred near a vendor area away from the stage set up for the concert, Allen said.

A recent update on X from Round Rock Police stated: “Round Rock Police have confirmed that 14 victims were transported to local hospitals with gunshot wounds and two were pronounced dead at the scene. A shooting occurred at Old Settlers Park during the annual Juneteenth celebration in Round Rock on Saturday, June 15.”

They added: “Round Rock Police are actively searching for a suspect in connection with the shooting. The suspect is described as a black male with a slim build, approximately 5’7″ tall, with short dreadlocks and wearing a white hoodie at the time of the incident.”

Police also said the ATF is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the defendant.

Police had previously stated on Sunday that they had no suspect in custody and investigators did not know how many shooters were involved. “It is heartbreaking for a family that came to enjoy their evening and whose lives are now changed forever because someone does not care about someone else’s life,” Allen said, according to Related Press.

There were also numerous reactions to the shooting on social media.

One user asked, “What laws, if tightened, could have prevented the shooting? I live in Texas and I know murder is illegal.”

Another added: “Juneteenth is the celebration of when news came to Texas that white Republicans abolished slavery. And how do they celebrate that by shooting each other?”

Another added: “This weekend, a third mass shooting was reported in a park (the other two were Michigan and Texas). Increasing people’s isolation or fear of gathering in public spaces by allowing any crazy person to own a gun really seems to fit the agenda of various authoritarian elites.”

Meanwhile, just recently, several people were injured in a shooting at a wading pool in Rochester Hills. According to an AP report, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said there were “numerous injured victims” after police were called about an active shooter. In a social media post, authorities said there was still an active crime scene and officers “may be detaining the suspect nearby.”

Earlier, on June 2, one person was killed and at least 26 people were injured in a mass shooting in Akron, Ohio, AP reported, citing local authorities. The report said that a 27-year-old man was killed and at least 26 others were injured in the shooting, which occurred after midnight near Kelly Avenue and 8th Avenue. The victims were taken to nearby hospitals.