The Round Rock community is grappling with the aftermath of a New Year's Eve shooting that injured five juveniles. As reported by CBS Austin, the shooting occurred in the 1600 block of Chisholm Trail Road near the Platinum Event Center around 11:30 p.m. during what seemed to be a party gone awry.
Local resident Samantha Sanchez recounted to CBS Austin the chaos of the night, "Last night we were all hanging out over here and then all of a sudden you just hear gunshots, boom, boom, boom. I see some kids running over here and then I see just everybody running, running. You are hearing screaming. You see there are like a million cars all down the street and all the ambulances. Everybody was right here." Frightened neighbors like Heidi Tomon are calling for increased police presence, noting, "It would not take anything for a stray bullet to come through our home into where we are sleeping. That just terrifies me and breaks my heart."
The Round Rock Police Department (RRPD) has indicated that preliminary information suggests the party involved underage drinking and was heavily promoted via a viral social media flyer. The five juveniles who were shot, all sustaining non-life-threatening injuries, were subsequently hospitalized. Three of the victims hail from Pflugerville, while two are from Austin, according to a report by FOX 7 Austin.
No arrests have been made yet, and investigators are treating this as an isolated incident, maintaining that there is no ongoing threat to the public. However, the investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging those with any information about the shooting to contact Detective Brian Heldman from the RRPD at [email protected] or by phone at 512-688-7966, as reiterated by both CBS Austin and FOX 7 Austin. The incident has raised concerns among locals about child supervision and drug activity in the area, with Sanchez noting a significant increase.
