Juneteenth festival abruptly canceled in popular NC tourist hub after double shooting

A two-day Juneteenth Festival in one of North Carolina’s most popular tourist towns came to an abrupt halt after gunfire put two juveniles in a hospital on the first day.

All activities planned Sunday, June 18, for the federal holiday at Asheville’s Pack Square Park were canceled via a note posted just 12 hours prior to kick off.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County said the decision was made “due to a shooting that occurred” on site as festivities drew to a close Saturday.

“We are saddened that a day of celebration and community unity was darken by a cloud of violence. We pray for the healthy recovery of the victims, for justice to prevail, and that all community members be safe and at peace,” Oralene A.G. Simmons, president of The Martin Luther King, Jr., Association of Asheville & Buncombe County said in a Facebook post.

The shooting happened just before 9 p.m. in the Court Plaza area of Pack Square Park, Asheville police said in a news release.

“Officers quickly arrived on the scene and found two juveniles who were victims of gunshot wounds,” officials said.

“Both juveniles were transported to Mission Hospital with serious injuries. One has been released, and the other remains in critical but stable condition.”

A 16-year-old was taken into custody in the area and identified “as the principal offender.”

The suspect’s identity has not been released. The teen is charged “with two counts of felonious assault with deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury,” officials said.

Police recovered a 9mm pistol, along with “a host of physical evidence that littered the park.”

Asheville is about 130 miles northwest of Charlotte.

This story was originally published June 18, 2023 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Juneteenth festival abruptly canceled in popular NC tourist hub after double shooting."