Juneteenth Shooting of 11-Year-Old Shuts Down Festival
A moment of celebration for Columbus, Ohio turned violent after an 11-year-old boy was shot in the leg at a Juneteenth festival over the weekend. A 15-year-old boy is now in custody as a prime suspect in the shooting.
The incident occurred at a park just outside of downtown Columbus around 7 p.m. on Saturday night. The shooting forced event promoters to shut the festival down while authorities secured the area and made sure the young victim received medical attention. The boy is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery.
"Every year they get out here and show out. Now we're not going to have anything we can do that represents the African-American community and it's a disgrace," said local resident Benita David.
The Juneteenth fiestival in Columbus was supposed to be a three-day festival that would have continued for another several hours on Saturday, as well as all day Sunday. After the shooting, however, promoters of the event were forced to shut down the festivities, disappointing many local residents.
"I never heard that Juneteenth got canceled. That's the problem. I mean if we heard something we wouldn't be here," noted Timothy Clark, who had come to the festival's location only to be turned away.
Juneteenth has long been a recognition of the freedom given to African-American slaves after the end of the Civil War in 1865. The celebration first originated in Galveston, Texas, but has since gone on to be observed nationwide. It's name is a combination of the words "June" and "nineteenth," which is the date that the slaves were officially freed.
"Juneteenth has come to symbolize for many African-Americans what the fourth of July symbolizes for all Americans -- Freedom. It serves as a historical milestone reminding Americans of the triumph of the human spirit over the cruelty of slavery. It honors those African-American ancestors who survived the inhumane institution of bondage, as well as demonstrating pride in the marvelous legacy of resistance and perseverance they left us," notes the Columbus festival's website.
Sadly, the shooting was not the only instance of violence at the event that was supposed to celebrate peace and harmony. Four juveniles were also arrested for violent acts before the shooting took place. The motive for the shooting is not yet known.
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