The Round Rock Police Department on Thursday announced the arrest of a person in connection to the weekend mass shooting at Old Settlers Park.
According to Chief of Police Allen Banks, 17-year-old Ricky Thompson III was arrested in Pflugerville Thursday morning shortly after 7:30 a.m. He was booked into the Williamson County Jail on a charge of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, 2nd Degree.
“This isn’t a victory lap by any means,” said Banks. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. And I don’t think anybody’s joyful. I can tell you, the detectives aren’t in there high-fiving and chest bumping each other. This is a sad occasion. We’ve got a 17-year-old, a 17-year-old that’s in custody right now for pulling out a gun at what should’ve been an absolutely amazing event. Which was an amazing event until this occurred.”
Banks says the investigation is far from over, and more charges are highly likely against Thompson.
“This case is still ongoing. We have a lot of work to do. We know Ricky Thompson was not the only shooter.”
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ORIGINAL STORY:
Round Rock police are investigating a shooting incident Saturday night that left two people dead and multiple others injured during a Juneteenth celebration at Old Settlers Park, located at 1371 Harrell Parkway in Round Rock.
At about 10:50 p.m., shooting began during an altercation between two groups at the event, Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks said. Two people died as a result of the incident, and multiple injured bystanders were transported to area hospitals, Chief Banks said during a news briefing early Sunday morning.
The victims were not part of the altercation, Chief Banks said. Additional information about the victims is not yet available.
Chief Banks reported that police officers and members of the Round Rock Fire Department immediately responded and rendered medical aid to the victims. “I’d like to thank the police officers and the Fire Department for their quick actions,” he said. “I have no doubt that their quick actions in rendering aid to the victims saved lives.”
Those directly involved in the incident immediately fled. Police do not have any suspects in custody and are searching for suspects during this ongoing investigation.
“It is unfortunate that we were here celebrating a wonderful event and we have a tragedy that happens,” he said. “My thoughts and my prayers go out to the victims. My condolences go out to the families of the deceased.”
The shooter fled the scene and is still on the run as of Monday morning. He’s described as a black male with a thin build, 5-feet-7-inches tall with short dreadlocks, likely around age 19 or 20, and last seen wearing a white hoodie.
If anyone has video or information about this incident, please notify the Round Rock Police Department at (512) 218-5500.
Old Settlers Park has since reopened to the public.
