A US federal holiday since 2021, Juneteenth, commemorated annually on June 19th, is a time of celebration and positivity in the United States. However, in 2024, a Juneteenth celebration in Texas quickly turned into a terror-filled event as gunfire erupted. It would take almost a year for law enforcement to apprehend the complete array of suspects, surprisingly large in number. What happened in Round Rock?
A “Special… Beautiful” Juneteenth Celebration
Juneteenth has been celebrated in various ways in the United States since 1865 and was designated a federal holiday by President Joseph Biden in 2021. Juneteenth refers to June 19, 1865, when enslaved Africans were freed in the United States. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, the Union Army did not actually begin enforcing it until June 19, 1865. Still, it would take time for freedom to reach all enslaved peoples.
Even before its designation as a federal holiday, Juneteenth was observed in the US in different forms. To some, it is a quiet celebration, to others, public festivities are enjoyed. In Round Rock, Texas, Juneteenth means a large communal celebration. The Round Rock Juneteenth Festival is preparing for its 20th annual celebration in 2026. Most recently, the event was hosted by The Voice, Inc, and the Omicron Nu Nu Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in conjunction with the Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department. The yearly event is centered toward families and is free to attend, with parking fees used to fund the following year’s festivities. According to attendee Cluren Williams, the event “was special, it was beautiful…” However, in 2024, the festival became forever associated with tragedy.
A concert featuring local and regionally famous DJs and musicians at Old Settlers Park is the focal point of the Round Rock celebration. On Saturday, June 15, 2024, the musical event was scheduled to run from 5 PM to midnight. Performers included DJ Hella Yella, a Texas native, and rapper and disc jockey Paul Wall. While no official count of the number of attendees was available, those at the event described the crowd as “large,” with one performer referring to “thousands of families” congregating.
Horror Unfolds
The 2024 Round Rock Juneteenth Festival at Old Settlers Park got off to a great start. Attendees of all ages enjoyed the concert and fellowship with their families. Around 11 PM, the atmosphere changed. An altercation broke out between two groups in the crowd. Gunfire was heard, and, according to witnesses, chaos ensued. In the melee, several bystanders were hit with bullets. Police officers and other first responders were already on-site for the event and began rendering aid to those affected. In the aftermath, it was determined that there were 16 total casualties: 14 injured and two dead. According to police, none of those who were injured or killed were involved in the original altercation.
The injured victims ranged in age from 10 to 62 years. Two women were killed: Ara Duke, 54, and 33-year-old Lyndsey Vicknair. Duke, a Texas native, was an administrator at IDEA Public School. She was involved in numerous charitable causes, including the Boys and Girls Club and NPH USA. That evening, Duke was attending the event with her husband, Christopher. The couple had a daughter who was 20 at the time of the shooting. Alena Holmes remembered her mother as “very smart… educationally, socially, emotionally.”
The other victim was Lyndsey Vicknair, an attorney and member of the Austin Bar Association. She was survived by her husband, Kevin, and their three children, as well as a sister and other beloved family members. She and her husband were heavily involved in community outreach, including fundraising, advocating for sickle cell awareness, and a local youth track club.
The Suspects and Motive
After the shooting, law enforcement, injured victims, and the bereaved families were left wondering “why”? The victims had no known association with the shooters or their apparent argument. Initially, little information was available about the cause of the altercation that had resulted in such a tragedy.
Immediately after the catastrophe, police released a description of a potential suspect who was observed by witnesses. He was described as a Black male, approximately 19 or 20 years old. His height was listed at about 5 feet, 7 inches (170 cm), and he was wearing short dreadlocks and a white hoodie when last seen. A reward of up to $5,000 was offered for information leading to the successful arrest of the described suspect. Anyone who witnessed the shooting was asked to call the Round Rock police department to share their experience in hopes that it would shine a light on new clues to the suspect and cause. Eventually, it was determined that four separate guns were fired in the tragedy, with approximately two dozen shell casings recovered from the scene.
Within five days, the first arrest was made. Ricky Tyrone Thompson III, 17, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with one of the wounded victims. He was not charged in the deaths of Vicknair and Duke. At the time of the arrest, officers maintained that Thompson was not the only shooter and that they were still seeking other suspects. Just a few days later, a second suspect was taken into custody. He was a male juvenile whose name was not released. A third suspect, Keshawn Dixon, 18, was arrested on July 6. Police charged Dixon, who had a history of gun-related charges, with deadly conduct and revealed that the suspect was a documented gang member. With this revelation, more details about the cause of the shooting emerged.
According to Dixon’s arrest affidavit, the suspect was part of a gang-affiliated rap group called “Get Money Entertainment.” Dixon and his affiliates had clashed with Ricky Thompson’s competing rap group, “Whaa Ent,” after Whaa Ent had insulted Get Money Entertainment. A member of Get Money Entertainment had previously been murdered, and the insult was related to that death.
Witnesses described Dixon firing at Thompson during the Juneteenth celebration at Old Settlers Park. Another described him wearing a ski mask, and several people placed him at the shooting. Further investigation revealed that Dixon’s gun, a Glock, was equipped with a switch that enabled him to alter it to completely automatic firing capabilities. This coincided with onlooker descriptions that Dixon “lost control” of his weapon while shooting. In August 2024, Dixon’s charges were upgraded to include two counts of murder and 13 counts of aggravated assault.
Despite Dixon’s upgraded charges, law enforcement officials had not wrapped up their investigation. On Monday, May 19th, almost a year after the shooting, the Round Rock Police Department announced that four more suspects were arrested in connection with the Juneteenth tragedy. Terrell Hatch, 18; Payton Green, 20; Terren Jackson, 18; and Amarjai Terri, 17, were arrested on charges of engaging in organized criminal activity with conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. This charge is a first-degree felony. None of the seven suspects are from Round Rock. A mass shooting charge was added to Ricky Thompson’s arrest, and if tried, it will be the first mass shooting charge prosecuted in the state of Texas. At the time of writing, all seven suspected perpetrators remain incarcerated, and no official trial dates have been set.
The Aftermath and Survivors
Law enforcement officers state that despite seven arrests, the investigation into the case is ongoing. They maintain that additional arrests will be made if more information deems them necessary. Organizers persisted with the Round Rock Juneteenth Festival in 2025, holding their 19th annual event in the same location at Old Settlers Park. Victims were remembered in memorials at the event. While many of the wounded victims spoke of healing and gratitude for their recovery, two of the surviving victims sued organizers of the festival in November 2025. The 2024 organizer, One Way Baptist Church, is the defendant in the case where two victims are seeking over a million dollars in damages. The civil case is ongoing.
The tragedy of the Round Rock Juneteenth celebration in 2024 is hard to understand. Innocent bystanders simply looking to enjoy the observance of freedom in America were gunned down in a senseless act of gang violence. While the confrontation had nothing to do with Juneteenth, it left locals with a sad association to remember the holiday. It is a reminder that despite the progress America has made in its pursuit of brotherhood and community, there are still many strides to be made.
