Round Rock Juneteenth Festival plans to honor victims from last year's shooting
ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — It’s been nearly a year since the deadly shooting during a Juneteenth Festival in Round Rock. Safety is on the minds of many as the event will kick off Friday for the first time since the shooting.
Organizer Cluren Williams told KXAN they plan to remember the victims who died at the celebration.
“We’re going to actually start doing a memorial for the family,” Williams said
The shooting at Old Settlers Park killed two women and injured 14 others. Law enforcement said a fight broke out between two groups, and shots were fired.
“It was two groups that were targeting each other, and unfortunately, there was collateral and lives that were lost because of the senseless actions of those two groups,” said Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks.
According to an arrest affidavit, it was likely part of an ongoing violent feud between two gangs. Court documents said the shooting began as a confrontation over a “rap diss.”
The Round Rock Police Department said all of the victims were innocent bystanders. A total of seven people have been arrested. Suspects range from a juvenile to a 20-year-old.
What are this year’s safety measures?
The city of Round Rock told KXAN leading up to this year’s event, it held regular operational meetings about its safety plans.
This year’s event is in a different area of the park due to ongoing construction of bond projects. It’s in a smaller area but is still an open park setup with a stage.
Their plan includes the following:
- Law enforcement presence
- Crowd monitoring devices
- SkyWatch towers and drone surveillance
- On-site medical response teams
- Centralized command center
“Our cameras are being monitored right now at our command post. We will have drones that are up in the air. All the video feed we can watch live, monitor every one of the corners,” Chief Banks said.
Ultimately, Banks said he wants people to feel comfortable and enjoy the festival, while also honoring last year’s victims.
“We don’t forget our victims,” Banks said. “Round Rock is a strong community, and we want everyone to come out and have a good time and know that we are out here protecting them and keeping them as safe as we possibly can.”
