2 killed, 14 injured in shooting at Juneteenth celebration at Texas park, officials say
KEYE, TONY SANTANA, CNN
By Paradise Afshar, Melissa Alonso and Jamiel Lynch, CNN
(CNN) — Two people were killed and 14 others were injured and taken to hospitals following a shooting at a Juneteenth celebration at a Round Rock, Texas, park Saturday night, police said.
An altercation broke out between two groups during the event at Old Settlers Park, and “someone produced a gun and began to fire,” Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said at a news conference.
A large crowd was at the event at the time and “multiple victims were hit,” the chief said. Officers who were at the event responded and began rendering aid, Banks said.
Authorities said Sunday evening they were actively searching for a suspect in connection with the shooting.
“The suspect is described as a black male with a thin build, approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall, short dreadlocks, and wearing a white hoodie at the time of the incident,” Round Rock Police said Sunday evening in an update on X, formerly Twitter.
Banks said it was unclear exactly how many people opened fire. “This is an ongoing investigation,” he said.
Austin-Travis County EMS said earlier first responders transported six people, including two children, to local trauma facilities, “all with potentially serious injuries.”
Two of the victims died at the scene, authorities said.
The victims were not part of the altercation, according to Banks.
“It breaks your heart for a family that was coming out to enjoy their evening and now their life is forever changed as a result of somebody who could care less about somebody else’s life and that’s so disappointing,” Banks said.
“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspects involved in this incident,” according to the update Sunday evening.
The Juneteenth Festival at Old Settlers Park on Saturday night featured musical performances by different artists, according to the Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department’s Facebook page. Round Rock is located about 20 miles north of Austin.
Banks said the park was closed for the duration of the morning on Father’s Day.
There have been at least 14 mass shootings over the weekend from Friday through Sunday, according to the Gun Violence Archive, leaving nine people dead and wounding 74 others.
Like CNN, the Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as where four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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