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Police in Round Rock say they've arrested a teenager in connection with the shooting at a Juneteenth celebration that killed two women and injured as many as 14 others.
On Thursday morning, Round Rock Chief of Police Allen Banks said a fugitive task force in Pflugerville had arrested 17-year-old Ricky Thompson III at about 7:30 a.m. and that he was being held in the Williamson County Jail on a charge of felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
A bond amount for Thompson has not yet been set, and it's unclear if he has obtained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Banks said Thursday that police believe Thompson was one of several people who were shooting at each other in Old Settlers Park on Saturday night.
Two women were killed in the crossfire: Lyndsey Vicknair, an attorney from Mansfield who lived in Manor, Texas, with her husband Kevin and their three children, and Ara Duke, who worked in education in Austin. As many as 14 others, all innocent bystanders, were said to have been injured in the gunfire.
Citing the need to protect the ongoing investigation, Banks shared few other details but did confirm Thompson was the person in the white hoodie sought by investigators and that more arrests and charges were expected. Banks said investigators still believe the shooting was the result of an altercation between two groups of people attending the celebration.
Banks said the families of the victims were notified about the arrest Thursday morning. KXAN in Austin shared a statement from the Vicknair family thanking investigators for their work on the case while calling on those responsible for the shooting to surrender to police.
"The Vicknair family would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Round Rock Police Department and other law enforcement agencies for their due diligence. The detectives have been extremely supportive during this very difficult time," the family said. "Kevin’s message remains the same: 'To the shooter or shooters who took God’s gift from me and my children, you may not care for us or others, but my message to you is to do what God has placed on your heart to do.'"
Vicknair's family and friends are invited to a private wake in Mansfield on Friday evening, followed by her celebration of life on Saturday.
The Oakland Police Department said over two dozen officers had been monitoring the crowd of 5,000 people celebrating at the lake on Wednesday.
"The crowds were peaceful until around 8:15 p.m. when an illegal sideshow involving vehicles and motorbikes occurred near Grand Avenue and Bellevue Avenue," the police department said in a press release.
Officers said the situation escalated as the crowd became hectic and several fights broke out. Then shots rang out with 50 shell casings recovered. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Eureka:
I've gotten really used to the Asian culture. There are some goods things about it and food is one of them. Pho (Vietnamese) is delicious.
Pho is delicious. I've looked into making it myself some winter day at home. But to do it right for the broth, it takes like 6 or 8 hours or something.
Originally Posted by ptlyon:
Pho is delicious. I've looked into making it myself some winter day at home. But to do it right for the broth, it takes like 6 or 8 hours or something.
F that. But maybe I'll give it a go.
Maybe, a certain holiday you can make that dish? Make it a tradition.
Don't wait until next Juneteenth to do it either. [Reply]
Originally Posted by tooge:
I don’t really understand Juneteenth as far as having its own holiday. I mean, we already have Black History Month which I think is a good thing. I’m an American so I celebrate Independence Day July 4. If you are not or we’re not a slave, then I don’t understand supporting, a day where slaves were freed. Most of us regardless of race come from ancestors that at some point were slaves. I don’t need to celebrate anything I wasn’t part of.
I mean, I didn't serve in the military, but I think the observation of Memorial Day and Veteran's Day is a good thing. I have no problem marking the day of the end of slavery in America. Hell, it's a good thing if it's remembered as a great day. Sadly, I think many on the left use it as a day to remember how much America sucks, in spite of the fact that the slaves were indeed freed. [Reply]
