At least two bystanders were fatally shot at a Juneteenth celebration in Texas on Saturday night — one of multiple incidents of gun violence around the country that marred Father’s Day weekend.
An altercation between two groups of people exploded into gunfire at a free Juneteenth festival co-hosted by the city of Round Rock, police said. The event began at 5 p.m. and shots rang out at 10:50 p.m., roughly an hour before it was set to end.
Neither of the two victims were involved in the shooting, according to Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks, and “multiple” other bystanders were transported to hospitals with undisclosed injuries.
“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.”
Police have not identified suspects in the shooting, as those involved appeared to flee the scene immediately. Authorities asked anyone with video of the shooting or those with any information to contact police.
Seven people were shot in an unrelated shooting in Methuen, Massachusetts, on Sunday morning. An eighth person was injured while running away.
Two of the victims were in critical condition and five others are stable, according to authorities. The victims range in age from late teens to 22 years old.
Police responded to the scene at 1:55 a.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls of shots fired.
Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara said the violence broke out at what was described as a “car club meetup,” a spontaneous gathering of young people who find abandoned parking lots, often facilitated through social media. Hundreds of people were gathered at this particular meetup and no suspects were identified.
These gatherings have been an issue in the area in recent years, according to McNamara, but do not typically escalate to this level of violence.
“They’re certainly a concern for our community in terms of quality of life,” McNamara said. “Usually these meetups consist of very loud music, disorderly conduct, sometimes drinking, vaping, that sort of thing.”
Officers have previously monitored social media to break up the gatherings, issue trespassing charges and track known “hot spots.” The scene where this shooting occurred, the parking lot of a commercial area, was not a known meetup point.
Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker told reporters that authorities are collecting a large volume of ballistic evidence. He did not specify the number but said there appeared to be fewer than 100 bullets.
“When you think about the ballistics evidence that we’re recovering, it’s incredible that not more people were hurt or killed,” Tucker said.
Multiple other shootings occurred over the Father’s Day weekend, including one at a Michigan park that left nine people injured. An 8-year-old and a 4-year-old were among the victims in what appeared to be a random shooting at a splash pad.
Two people were killed and two others were injured at a nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, early Friday morning after a verbal altercation escalated, city police said.
A man died in a shootout with police in Tampa on Saturday night after barricading himself inside a home and allegedly killing his parents. He also allegedly injured a deputy, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
Last month over Mother’s Day weekend, at least 11 people were killed in shootings across the country. Roughly two weeks later, dozens were either killed or injured in shootings over the Memorial Day weekend.
NBC Chicago reported that at least nine people were killed and 41 were injured in shootings across the city that weekend. Three shootings in St. Paul, Minnesota, left 10 injured between two graduation parties and another gathering over the holiday, according to NBC affiliate KARE.
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