Round Rock prepares for Juneteenth celebration 1 year after deadly shooting
The Brief
It has been nearly one year since the deadly shooting at Round Rock's Juneteenth celebration
RRPD have arrested seven people in connection with the shooting
Round Rock's mayor said there will be lots of police presence to help with safety
ROUND ROCK, Texas - It's been nearly one year since the mass shooting at Round Rock's Juneteenth celebration.
One year ago, a shooting at the Juneteenth celebration between two groups over a social media post injured multiple people and killed two mothers, Lyndsey Vicknair and Ara Duke. They were caught in the crossfire.
Nearly 10 people have been arrested in connection with the shooting.
What they're saying
On Wednesday afternoon, Old Settlers Park was still quiet as crews set up the stage for this year's Juneteenth celebration.
For Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan, it does not go unnoticed that in this year's celebration, there is also a sense of heaviness.
"It's something that you'll never forget, you know, serving in this seat," said Morgan. "The last thing you want is to have a loss of life when you're the mayor."
This weekend, Mayor Morgan feels confident about bringing the celebration back.
"I trust our PD more than anything," said Morgan. "I know what kind of work they do, just kind of with like the investigations. I know they worked tirelessly and still are working tirelessly."
Police have arrested seven people in connection with the shooting.
"We're not going to stop," said Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks. "This case just doesn't stop because we have those seven in custody. Anybody that was involved in this tragic incident will be held accountable, and we won't stop until we have everybody that was involved."
Banks said attendees can expect to see his officers at Old Settlers.
"We'll be out, our presence will be known," said Banks. "We'll be out there with the crowd and walking around the event.
At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, the celebration will pause for a video to remember the victims, followed by two beams of light pointing to the heavens.
"We're not going to let evil stop what we're doing," said Banks. "We're a great community, we're a great city with great events and our presence will be known, and again, anybody that decides they want to come out and disrupt a great family fun event, we're going to be there."
The celebration will be moved to Yonder's Point at Old Settler's Park due to construction. It begins on Friday, June 13, with a barbecue.
The Source
Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Lauren Rangel
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