Memory of Round Rock shooting lingers at Georgetown Juneteenth celebration

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) — Organizers of a Juneteenth celebration in Georgetown said the memory of a shooting that took place at a Juneteenth festival in Round Rock a week ago is still fresh . Despite this, they said the message of the holiday must be perseverance and overcome any fear of future tragedies.

Last Saturday, two women were killed and 14 others injured while attending a Juneteenth festival at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock. Police have since arrested two suspects in connection with the shooting.

Jason Norwood helped organize the Georgetown event aimed at educating children about the Juneteenth holiday.

In the shadow of the Williamson County Courthouse, dozens of community members gathered for speeches, a barbecue and to spread information about the history of Juneteenth.

“That’s the whole goal of today, is to impact change with the next generation,” Norwood said.

Norwood said the shooting in Round Rock weighed heavily on the minds of attendees, but the group's mission to promote the holiday and what it represents must rise above any fears created by the deadly tragedies.

“Remembering the fact that there was a shooting at this event, and still having ours, is the fact that we are here for the kids. We’re here to educate them,” Norwood said.

The event was sponsored by local groups Move the Monument and Williamson County Patriots, in part to raise money and awareness for efforts to remove a Confederate statue from the grounds of the Georgetown County Courthouse.

Norwood said the goal of the day's event is to inspire younger generations to honor the struggles that Black Americans have overcome and to correct the ongoing wrongs of slavery.

“We need to teach them the correct history, the real reasons why the Civil War happened and the real reason Juneteenth is important, because it meant freedom for everyone,” Norwood said.