What was the security plan before the June 19 shooting?

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — There are still no arrests or suspects identified in the search for those who opened fire at the Juneteenth festival in Round Rock Saturday night.

The Round Rock Police Department said 14 people were injured, including children at Old Settlers Park. Two people were killed.

RRPD said it started with a fight between two groups at the event.

“Basically, come and ride from anywhere”

Some festival-goers are questioning some of the safety protocols in place for the event.

David Wilkerson is one of them.

What started as an event filled with great music ended in tragedy.

“You started seeing police come out with their tactical gear,” Wilkerson said. “On the way out, I counted six on stretchers.”

Wilkerson said he never saw people doing security checks as they entered the area.

“There was no main entry point, no main exit point. Basically, you come from anywhere,” Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson said he didn't see the security checks on the things from where he was.

Ultimately, he thought more should have been done to check and scan people entering.

“There are temporary barriers you can install. There are jersey barriers. There are all kinds of things to keep people from coming in from anywhere else,” Wilkerson said.

The security plan

Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said they had a plan for the festival in advance with officers on duty and other first responders.

“We had over 22 law enforcement personnel assigned to the event,” Banks said. “We had people who were in the sky watchtower and also watching the crowd.”

Banks said medics and other security personnel were all on scene. He said there were no checkpoints because it was an open-air venue.

The city of Round Rock, one of the event's organizers, said the Juneteenth festival is structured like an open park equipped with a stage.

The Round Rock Fire Department was also on hand with personnel and equipment to provide on-scene medical response if necessary. Agencies present at city events regularly participate in training to respond to various incidents, including shootings. In preliminary discussions following the event, it was clear that these measures enabled a rapid and comprehensive response from first responders, saving the lives of innocent bystanders.

The town of Round Rock

A crowd safety expert's perspective

Steve Allen is the founder of Crowd Safety, a crowd management and event safety consultancy.

Allen said there are several factors to consider when organizing an event like this.

Allen said in these situations, it's best to be clear that weapons are not allowed.

“It should be announced that all arriving personnel will be subject to a search as a condition of entry,” Allen said. “No weapons, or anything that could be considered a weapon, will be permitted on site for this event.”