Fear lingers in community after Juneteenth shooting in Round Rock

Lina Portman5 days ago

0 6 minutes read

Tonya Ray was walking alone to buy a turkey leg at the Juneteenth Celebration event in Round Rock when she felt a prick in her upper thigh.

The 40-year-old, who lives in Austin, was attending the event with her family. She looked down and realized she had been shot. The bullet went through his shorts.

It was almost 11 p.m. In the darkness, Ray had no idea what was happening. She fell to the ground and called her husband on his cell phone.

The bullet had entered and exited his thigh.

Ray was one of 14 people who police said were shot and wounded in the June 15 shooting at Old Settlers Park. Two women were killed: Lyndsey Vicknair, 33, of Manor, and Ara Duke, 54, of Pflugerville.

Authorities estimate that 20,000 people attended the two-day event marking the anniversary of the end of slavery in 1865 in Texas, in a city where just over 10 percent of the population is African-American. About two weeks after the shooting, those present that night are still trying to make sense of the tragedy as the police investigation continues.

Police say the shooting resulted from an altercation between two groups, although authorities do not believe gangs were involved. Authorities have arrested two juveniles in connection with the shooting and are still investigating other suspects. One of those arrested is Ricky Thompson III, 17, although his attorney told the American-Statesman she does not believe he fired the shots that killed Vicknair or Duke. Round Rock police declined to identify the other person arrested or the charges against them, saying they were under 17 years old.

The shooting devastated Round Rock and surrounding communities during what should have been a celebration of Black history and freedom, Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan said. When he heard about the shooting, he first felt disbelief and shock that a tragedy had struck his community. Then he felt anger.

“If evil wants to infiltrate a community or an event, it will, and unfortunately it infiltrated this event,” Morgan said. “This was a cowardly act by certain individuals, and we will bring all responsible parties to justice.”

A family has changed

Elissa Henry, a lawyer, arrived at the event with her husband and their two daughters at 4:30 p.m. that day. Their oldest, Bella, just wanted to dance, Henry told the Statesman. Henry's husband, Savion Wright, is a musician who previously performed at the festival in 2016 and 2017. He was excited to attend again, calling it a “reunion.”

“There were people of all ages, even elderly people, having a great time,” Henry said. “Everyone was partying, dancing, watching the shows and singing. … It was just a happy feeling.

They intentionally sat away from the stage, near the food trucks, so they could have space away from the crowd in front of the stage and “avoid the commotion,” Wright said.

Henry remembers feeling a shift in energy that night, though she couldn't pinpoint the source of her unease. She told Wright about her feelings and asked him to meet her at the car, if anything happened, while she took Bella to the bathroom.

When he returned from the bathroom, shots rang out just seconds after rapper Paul Wall's concert ended. Then came the cries for help.

The shooting happened 25 feet from the family.

Henry and Wright threw themselves to the ground, protecting their daughters. As their youngest daughter, Iris, slept through the shooting, Henry told a curious Bella that they were playing a game and should run to the car soon.

Wright said his first instinct was to protect his family. As he examined the scene, he noticed the speed of the police and doctors who came to the aid of the injured and directed the panicked crowd.

“As a black person attending a Juneteenth event, at the height of controversy in this country right now, the first thing that comes to mind is domestic terrorism,” Wright said.

In the chaos that followed, he remembers thinking, “I’m in a war zone.” He heard a woman scream for help when she realized her daughter had been shot. Others clutched their gunshot wounds, while others received CPR.

Henry later discovered that she had met one of the victims – Vicknair, a fellow lawyer and the opposing counsel in a recent case.

Four to five officers took one man into custody, although Wright said he did not know whether the man was a shooter or a bystander.

When the family reached their vehicle, they placed the two girls on the floor of the car, fearing a gunman was on the loose.

“Juneteenth is very important to (us) and to Black people in Texas, and it’s very sad and very frustrating to have to look back on that day and see it as a very dark moment when two incredible Black women who did incredible things for their community… they’re no longer here,” Wright said.

Duke was an educational administrator at IDEA Public Schools in North Austin and was eager to help her pregnant daughter move to London, relatives said.

Vicknair was an Austin attorney and mother of three young children, friends said. She was named a 2023 Texas Super Lawyer “Rising Star” in construction litigation by Super Lawyers magazine, according to the website of the Chapman law firm where she worked.

The investigation continues

Police have not released any updates on this case since June 21.

Thompson, one of the suspected shooters, pulled a 9mm pistol from his waistband during the argument, shooting a 17-year-old man and hitting him once in the leg, according to an arrest report. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Thompson was being held at the Williamson County Jail with bail set at $1 million as of Friday.

Additional charges are pending, Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said.

The other person arrested is being held at the Williamson County Juvenile Justice Center, according to a social media post from the Round Rock Police Department. Police declined to provide his arrest affidavit.

The investigation is ongoing, Round Rock police spokeswoman Melanie Forcier said Friday.

Thompson's attorney, Amber Vazquez, said she had “no reason” to believe Thompson was involved in the shootings that killed Duke and Vicknair.

Thompson was shot in the hand, but police did not count him among the wounded, Vazquez said, and he had to go to the hospital for surgery.

Thompson, who played football in the past and is interested in music, is scheduled to start his senior year at Manor Senior High School, she said. He lives with his mother and brothers and sisters.

“His mother has a full-time job and supports everyone,” she said. “They're a normal, working family who don't really know what to do in these circumstances.”

Vazquez said he had no criminal record and was a “good boy.”

“It will be helpful to all of us once the rest of the people are in custody, and then we will have a more complete picture of where Ricky fits into all of this,” Vazquez said. “This is a huge, horrible tragedy, and we don’t have enough information yet to know who was involved, who fired the shots and who started what.”

Fear, healing after the fact

Despite the tragedy, Mayor Morgan hopes community members won't be deterred by fear from attending future events, such as the Fourth of July carnival at Old Settlers Park.

“I hope people come back” to the events, he said, “because we are stronger together, as a whole community.” »

But those affected by the shooting say the fear remains and their recovery is underway.

After being shot, Ray was taken by ambulance to the hospital. She had to receive two liters of blood because of her injury and because she is anemic, she said.

The shooting made her angry, she said. Her children were at the event and could have been shot. She has a GoFundMe page for her medical expenses.

“Now I'm really afraid to go out anywhere with a lot of people,” Ray said.

Round Rock High School football player Zavari Whitson was also one of 14 people injured, said Cody Moore, the school's head football coach. Whitson, an incoming senior, has played on the football team since he was a sophomore, Moore said.

Whitson's parents could not be reached for comment.

Amy Mitchell, the mother of one of Whitson's teammates, said she and other parents of football players have delivered meals to Whitson's family since he was shot. A GoFundMe page has been set up for him.

Although the Henry-Wrights were not injured in the shooting, they were seriously affected and are seeking help from a therapist. Their daughter Bella has been having nightmares since the incident.

Wright, who performs under the name NOIVAS and has appeared on “American Idol,” now wonders if he feels comfortable enough to perform at concerts. He works with Banks, the police chief, to increase security at an upcoming concert.

“I’ve already canceled plans and events for the near future,” Wright said. “I don’t feel comfortable anymore. I’d rather be home with my family. This moment … has destroyed it for me.”

A family has changed

The investigation continues

Fear, healing after the fact

Lina Portman

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