Police still searching for suspects in Old Settlers Park shooting

Grace Reader and Taylor Girtman

7 minutes ago

The Round Rock Police Department is still searching for suspects in Saturday night's shooting at a Juneteenth event in Round Rock (KXAN photo/Grace Reader)

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Round Rock police are still searching for the suspect or suspects linked to the deadly shooting at the Round Rock Juneteenth festival that left two people dead and 14 others injured.

“Our ultimate goal is to find out who did this and ensure the families get justice,” Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said over the weekend.

Description of suspect in Old Settlers Park shooting

At a news conference Sunday, Banks said police believed the subject was “armed and dangerous” and should not approach the suspect but instead call 911.

When asked if there could be more than one suspect, Banks said the investigation is ongoing.

“There are a lot of interviews going on to find out who did what, how it started, why it started and why it ended in a completely senseless tragedy – and so anyone involved in this incident, we will be held accountable,” he said. .

Banks described one suspect as a black man, 5’7″ tall, 19 to 20 years old, with a thin build. Police said he had short hair and was last seen wearing a white hoodie.

“See you,” Banks said Sunday. “If you're man enough to carry a gun and pull the trigger, be man enough to step up. Appointment. Let's look at why you chose to kill and hurt people.

How to Submit a Report During the Round Rock Shooting

People with information can call 1-800-252-TIPS or submit a tip online.

Anyone with video or information about the shooting can call Round Rock Police Detective Maio at (512) 341-3135 or email [email protected]. Police are also asking anyone with photo or video evidence to submit it online.

Reward offered for tips leading to shooting of suspects in Round Rock

On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott said the Governor's Office of Public Safety is offering up to $10,000 toward the identification and arrest of the suspect(s).

Two other rewards are available for information purposes only. Williamson County Crime Stoppers is offering $5,000 and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering $5,000.

Survey Overview

Old Settlers Park is now reopened to the public after being closed for a thorough investigation over the weekend. Dennis Farris, president of the Austin Police Retired Officers Association, gave KXAN a glimpse of what might be happening behind the scenes.

He says law enforcement was conducting extensive interviews, checking tips, using ballistic tools and searching for video of vehicles or people matching the description of the suspect fleeing the scene.

“There may be people who have dash cameras in their cars that have detected this. Obviously the Round Rock police who were there had body cameras, so their body cameras were activated. They’ll watch all this body camera video,” Farris said.

Farris says with the involvement of federal partners like the FBI and ATF, Round Rock police will have additional investigative tools.

“This is going to be a very detailed and lengthy investigation. Obviously, they are now trying to identify the suspect, because the main goal is to take him into custody and hold him accountable for what he did. And then the investigation will continue, you know, long afterward,” Farris said.