Gun violence  Juneteenth celebrations in Texas, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Ohio

On Saturday night, a Juneteenth celebration turned tragic in Texas when at least two bystanders were fatally shot. The incident occurred during a free Juneteenth festival co-hosted by the city of Round Rock. An altercation between two groups of people erupted into gunfire at approximately 10:50 p.m., just an hour before the event was scheduled to end. Police Chief Allen Banks confirmed that neither of the victims were involved in the shooting. Additionally, several other bystanders sustained undisclosed injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals.

Unrelated Shooting in Massachusetts

On Sunday morning, an unrelated shooting in Methuen, Massachusetts, left seven people wounded and an eighth individual injured while fleeing the scene. The victims, ranging in age from late teens to 22 years old, were gathered for a "car club meetup," described as a spontaneous gathering of young people facilitated through social media. Police Chief Scott McNamara expressed concern about these meetups, citing incidents of disorderly conduct and loud disturbances. The violence that erupted during this particular gathering was unprecedented for the area, and authorities are actively collecting ballistic evidence to piece together the events that unfolded.

Other Incidents Across the Country

Aside from the aforementioned incidents, there were multiple other shootings across the United States over the Father’s Day weekend. In Michigan, a park shooting resulted in nine individuals sustaining injuries, including an 8-year-old and a 4-year-old. Meanwhile, in Columbus, Ohio, a verbal altercation at a nightclub led to the death of two individuals and injuries to two others. In Tampa, a man barricaded himself inside a home, allegedly killed his parents, and engaged in a fatal shootout with the police.