Father’s Day Weekend Marred by Shootings: Seven Injured at Car Club Meetup in Methuen, Massachusetts
At least two innocent bystanders were killed during a Juneteenth celebration in Texas on Saturday night, amidst a series of violent incidents that disrupted Father’s Day weekend nationwide.
According to police, a confrontation between two groups at a free Juneteenth festival in Round Rock escalated into gunfire. The event, which started at 5 p.m., saw shots fired at 10:50 p.m., just an hour before its scheduled conclusion.
Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks confirmed that neither of the two victims were involved in the altercation. Several other bystanders sustained injuries and were taken to hospitals, although the extent of their injuries remains undisclosed.
Chief Banks expressed his sorrow over the incident, stating, “It is unfortunate that we were here celebrating a wonderful event and we have a tragedy that happens. My thoughts and my prayers go out to the victims. My condolences go out to the families of the deceased.”
Police have not identified any suspects, as those involved reportedly fled the scene immediately. Authorities are seeking video footage and information from anyone who witnessed the shooting.
In a separate incident, seven people were shot early Sunday morning in Methuen, Massachusetts. An eighth person was injured while fleeing the scene. The victims, aged from late teens to 22 years old, included two in critical condition, while the others are stable.
Methuen Police Chief Scott McNamara described the scene as a “car club meetup,” an impromptu gathering of young people facilitated through social media in abandoned parking lots. Police responded to multiple 911 calls at 1:55 a.m. reporting shots fired. No suspects have been identified, and hundreds were present at the meetup.
Chief McNamara noted that while these gatherings have been problematic in the past, they rarely escalate to such levels of violence. He remarked, “They’re certainly a concern for our community in terms of quality of life.”
Authorities, including Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker, are processing a significant amount of ballistic evidence from the scene. Tucker mentioned that the number of bullets recovered, although not specified, was surprisingly high given the relatively low number of injuries and fatalities.
The weekend also saw other shootings, including one at a park in Michigan where nine people were injured, including children aged 8 and 4, in a random attack at a splash pad.
In Columbus, Ohio, a nightclub shooting early Friday morning left two people dead and two others injured following a verbal altercation. Meanwhile, in Tampa, a man died in a shootout with police on Saturday night after barricading himself in a home, allegedly killing his parents and injuring a deputy, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
These incidents follow a troubling pattern of gun violence. Over Mother’s Day weekend last month, at least 11 people were killed in shootings across the country. During Memorial Day weekend, dozens more were either killed or injured, with NBC Chicago reporting at least nine deaths and 41 injuries in shootings across the city. Additionally, three shootings in St. Paul, Minnesota, left 10 injured at two graduation parties and another gathering, according to NBC affiliate KARE.
