US: Texas Park Shooting Leaves 2 Dead, 14 Injured; Police Hunt Suspect In 'White Hoodie'

A weekend shooting at a park in the US state of Texas left two people dead and 14 wounded, including two children, authorities said. The victims were shot shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday during a Juneteenth celebration at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock, about 30 kilometers north of Austin.

An altercation began between two groups during a concert at the event and someone started shooting, Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said during a news conference at the scene. “Round Rock Police have confirmed that 14 victims were transported to local hospitals with gunshot wounds, and two were declared deceased at the scene following a shooting at Old Settlers Park during Round Rock’s annual Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 15th,” the police said in a statement.

The two victims who were pronounced dead at the scene were not involved in the argument, Allen said. The shooting occurred near a vendor area away from the stage set up for the concert, Allen said.

Police officers and fire department personnel present at the event immediately began providing emergency medical care to the wounded, who were then taken to hospitals, Allen said. Six people, four adults and two children, were taken to local trauma facilities, all with potentially serious injuries, according to a post on X by Austin-Travis County EMS.

Police said Sunday they did not have a suspect in custody and investigators did not know how many shooters were involved. “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,” Allen said.

“The Round Rock Police Department is 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,” the police added.

(With agency inputs)