When Onnesha Williams heard gunshots during a Juneteenth celebration in Round Rock on Saturday, she thought they were firecrackers.
But then she heard people screaming, and people in the vendor area of the event started running. Williams, a member of Black Families of Hutto, was near the parking lot when it unfolded.
Two people were killed and 14 bystanders were wounded in the shooting at the event at Old Settlers Park, 1371 Harrell Parkway. Round Rock police were still searching for a shooter and had not taken anyone into custody as of Sunday evening.
The shooting started at 10:50 p.m. between two groups at the event, a Round Rock Police Department news release said.
The people directly involved in the shooting immediately fled, the release said. The people who were killed, whose names have not been released, were not part of the altercation, police said.
Police:Round Rock Juneteenth shooting victims identified as Pflugerville, Manor residents
The free, two-day Juneteenth celebration, held at the Lakeview Pavilion and festival area in Old Settlers Park, was sponsored by a nonprofit called The Voice Inc. and the Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department. Thousands attended the event, though Police Chief Allen Banks said Sunday that he did not know the exact number of attendees. The Voice Inc. did not respond to a request for comment Sunday.
The 14 people who were taken to the hospital ranged in age from 10 to 52, Banks said during a news conference Sunday evening. Most of them had been released from the hospital as of Sunday evening, and the rest were in stable condition and expected to be released “within the next day or so,” Banks said.
Banks declined to release the names of the two people who died, saying that Round Rock police detectives were still talking to the families of the victims. Banks said he would release their names Monday.
Banks said an investigation into what led to the shooting is ongoing.
He said police had an “operations plan” for the Juneteenth event, as Old Settlers Park is an open park with no security point. More than 22 law enforcement personnel were assigned to the event, as well as members of the Round Rock Fire Department and EMS, Banks said. Officers and volunteers were spread throughout the park, and some officers were also overseeing the crowd from surveillance towers.
“The bottom line is, regardless of the amount of security we had, we had somebody who decided to take matters in their own hands and kill two people and injure 14 other people senselessly,” Banks said. “This isn’t about the police. It’s about those folks who are careless and could care less about somebody else’s life.”
Community members reflect on shooting
The celebration had been peaceful, Williams said — families relaxing and enjoying food, kids running around.
“I’m a little shocked and sad,” she said. “I can’t stop thinking about the people who lost their lives and people who were harmed and injured and all the people who saw that. In all the years I’ve attended Round Rock events, this has never happened.”
Police stopped all the cars leaving the event to search them, Williams said.
What we know:2 killed, 14 injured in shooting at Juneteenth celebration in Texas
Omega Psi Phi, a service fraternity, gives a presentation on stage at the celebration every year to award scholarships to high school seniors, said Wayne Williams, the organization’s president. He was at the celebration Saturday but declined to comment about the shooting, saying the incident was still under investigation.
“It’s definitely sad that such a great celebration came to an end this year in this manner,” he said. “It definitely lets us know that we have some growing to do as a community at large.”
He said he has been to the Juneteenth celebration in Round Rock frequently in the past, when no problems happened. He called the celebration a “loving and safe event where family and community come out and have a great time and different vendors come out and display what they have to offer.”
Banks said that police officers and members of the Round Rock Fire Department immediately responded and gave medical aid to the victims, according to the news release.
“It is unfortunate that we were here celebrating a wonderful event and we have a tragedy that happens,” Banks said. “My thoughts and my prayers go out to the victims. My condolences go out to the families of the deceased.”
Banks thanked the Williamson County sheriff’s office, the FBI and EMS responders from Williamson and Travis counties for their support during the initial response to the incident, the release said.
Trista Moxley, a spokesperson for the FBI’s San Antonio Division, confirmed that the FBI has been working with and “providing resources, support and personnel” to the Round Rock Police Department, which is leading the investigation.
“Our hearts go out to those affected by this senseless act of violence and loss of life last night,” a statement shared by Moxley said. “We will continue to help however we can as the law enforcement community works together to bring these subjects to justice.”
In a statement, Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan denounced the shooting and said the community stands in support of the victims.
“To the families who are mourning the loss of loved ones, please know that our entire community mourns with you,” Morgan said. “We are a community that values safety, celebration and unity, and we are committed to ensuring that our community heals through this event together. We will not let this incident define us, nor will we let fear take hold.”
Morgan, who joined Banks at the Sunday news conference about the shooting, said those who need crisis and mental health support can reach the Round Rock Fire Department’s Crisis Response Unit from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Friday, June 21, at 512-218-5501.
More:Looking to celebrate Juneteenth? Here’s a list of events happening across Texas
Round Rock police seeking shooter
Banks said the man who police believe to be the shooter is 19 or 20 years old and 5-foot-7, has short dreadlocks and was last seen wearing a white hoodie.
Banks said anyone who comes into contact with the man should contact police immediately and not approach the man, who is believed to be “armed and dangerous.”
Anyone who has video or information about the incident can call police at 512-218-5500.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering a $5,000 reward for the arrest of that man.
