Claire Osborn,Bianca Moreno-PazAustin American-Statesman
Tonya Ray was walking alone to buy a turkey leg at the Juneteenth Celebration event in Round Rock on when she felt a sting in her upper thigh.
The 40-year-old, who lives in Austin, had been attending the event with her family. She looked down and realized she had been shot. The bullet went through her shorts.
It was almost 11 p.m. In the darkness, Ray had no idea what was happening. She fell to the ground and called her husband on her cellphone.
The bullet had entered and exited her thigh.
Ray was one of the 14 people who police have said were wounded by gunfire in the shooting June 15 at Old Settlers Park. Two women were killed: Lyndsey Vicknair, 33, of Manor, and Ara Duke, 54, of Pflugerville.
Officials estimate 20,000 people attended the two-day event that celebrated the anniversary of the 1865 end of slavery in Texas, in a city where just over 10% of the population is of African American descent. About two weeks after the shooting, people who were there that night are still trying to make sense of the tragedy, while the police investigation continues.
Police say the shooting stemmed from an altercation between two groups, though officials do not believe gangs were involved. Authorities have arrested two juveniles in connection with the shooting and are still investigating additional suspects. One of those arrested is 17-year-old Ricky Thompson III, though his lawyer told the American-Statesman she does not believe he fired the shots that killed Vicknair or Duke. Round Rock police declined to identify the other person who was arrested, or the charges he is facing, saying he is under 17 years old.
The shooting devastated Round Rock and surrounding communities, during what should have been a celebration of Black history and freedom, Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan said. Upon first hearing of the shooting, he initially felt disbelief and shock that a tragedy had struck his community. Then he felt anger.
“If evil wants to find its way into a community or into an event, it will, and, unfortunately, it found its way into this event,” Morgan said. “It was a cowardly act by some individuals, and we will bring all responsible parties to justice.”
A family changed
Elissa Henry, an attorney, arrived at the event with her husband and their two daughters at 4:30 p.m. that day. Their eldest, Bella, just wanted to dance, Henry told the Statesman. Henry’s husband, Savion Wright, is a musician who had previously performed at the festival in 2016 and 2017. He was excited to attend again, calling it a “reunion.”
“There were people of all ages, even elderly people, just having a good time,” Henry said. “Everyone was celebrating, dancing and watching the performances and singing along. … It was just a feeling of happiness.”
They purposely sat far from the stage, near the food trucks, so they could have space from the crowds at the front of the stage and “avoid the commotion,” Wright said.
Henry recalled that she felt the energy shift that evening, though she couldn’t pinpoint the source of her discomfort. She told Wright about her feelings and asked him to meet her at the car, should anything happen, while she took Bella to the bathroom.
On her return from the bathroom, gunshots rang out mere seconds after rapper Paul Wall wrapped up his set.And then came the screams for help.
The shooting unfolded 25 feet away from the family.
Henry and Wright dropped to the ground, shielding their daughters. While their younger daughter, Iris, slept through the shooting, Henry told an inquisitive Bella that they were playing a game and would soon have to run to the car.
Wright said his first instinct was to protect his family. As he scoped out the scene, he noted the swiftness of law enforcement and medics who provided aid to the injured and directed the frantic crowd.
“Being a Black person at a Juneteenth event, at the height of a lot of contention in this country right now, the first thing that comes to your mind is domestic terrorism,” Wright said.
During the chaos that ensued, he recalled thinking, "I'm in a war zone." He heard a woman screaming for help when she realized her daughter had been shot. Others clutched their gunshot wounds, while some received CPR.
Henry found out later she’d met one of the victims — Vicknair, a fellow attorney and the opposing counsel on a recent case.
Four to five police officers tackled a man, though Wright said he was unsure whether the man was a shooter or a bystander.
When the family reached their vehicle, they placed the two girls on the floor of the car, in fear of a loose shooter.
“Juneteenth is very important for (us) and Black people in Texas, and it's very sad and very frustrating to have to look back on this day and see it as a very dark moment when two amazing Black women who did amazing things for their community … that they're no longer here,” Wright said.
Duke was an educational administrator at IDEA Public Schools in North Austin and was looking forward to helping her pregnant daughter move to London, relatives have said.
Vicknair was a lawyer in Austin and the mother of three young children, her friends have said. She was named a Texas Super Lawyer “Rising Star” in construction litigation in 2023 by Super Lawyers magazine, according to the website of the Chapman law firm where she worked.
Investigation continues
Police have not released any updates in the case since June 21.
Thompson, one of the suspected shooters, pulled out a 9 mm gun from his waistband during the argument, shooting at a 17-year-old male and striking him once in the leg, an arrest affidavit said. He has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Thompson was being held at the Williamson County Jail with bond set at $1 million as of Friday.
More charges are pending, Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said.
The other person who was arrested is being held at the Williamson County Juvenile Justice Center, according to a social media post by the Round Rock Police Department. Police declined to provide his arrest affidavit.
The investigation is ongoing, Round Rock police spokeswoman Melanie Forcier said Friday.
Thompson’s lawyer, Amber Vazquez, said she had “no reason” to think that Thompson was involved in the shots that killed Duke and Vicknair.
Thompson was shot in the hand, but police didn’t count him among the injured, Vazquez said, and he had to go to a hospital for surgery.
Thompson, who has played football in the past and is interested in music, is supposed to start his senior year at Manor Senior High School, she said. He lives with his mother and siblings.
“His mom has a full-time job and supports everyone,” she said. “They are a normal, working, regular family who don’t really know what to do in this circ*mstance."
Vazquez said he does not have a criminal record and is a “good kid.”
“It will be helpful for all of us once the rest of the people are in custody, and then we will have a bigger picture where Ricky fits into this,” Vazquez said. “This is one giant, horrible tragedy, and we don’t have enough information yet to know who was involved and who shot and who started what.”
Fear, recovery in the aftermath
Despite the tragedy, Morgan, the mayor, hopes community members are not deterred by fear from attending future events, like the Fourth of July carnival, at Old Settlers Park.
“I hope people come back to” the events, he said, “because we’re stronger together as a whole community.”
But those affected by the shooting say fear persists, and their recovery is ongoing.
After Ray was shot, an ambulance took her to a hospital. She had to receive 2 liters of blood because of her wound and because she is anemic, she said.
The shooting left her angry, she said. Her children were at the event and could have been shot. She has a GoFundMe page for her medical expenses.
“Now I’m really scared to go outside anywhere with a lot of people,” Ray said.
Round Rock High School football player Zavari Whitson was also one of the 14 people injured, said Cody Moore, the head football coach at the school. Whitson, an incoming senior, has been playing on the football team since he was a sophom*ore, Moore said.
Whitson’s parents could not be reached for comment.
Amy Mitchell, the mother of one of Whitson’s teammates, said she and other parents of football players have been delivering meals to Whitson’s family since he was shot. A GoFundMe page has been established for him.
Although the Henry-Wrights were not injured during the shooting, they were gravely affected and are seeking the help of a therapist. Their daughter Bella has had nightmares since the incident.
Wright, who performs under the name NOIVAS and has appeared on “American Idol,” now questions whether he feels comfortable enough to play at concerts. He is working with Banks, the police chief, to beef up security at an upcoming concert.
“I've already canceled plans and events in the near future,” Wright said. “I don’t feel comfortable anymore. I’d rather be at home with my family. That moment … destroyed it for me.”
