From Staff Reports

The Asheville Police Department, in cooperation with the Department of Juvenile Justice, has charged a 16-year-old suspect in a shooting that occurred at the end of the first day of the two-day Juneteenth celebration festival in Asheville’s Pack Square Park, the APD stated in a June 18 press release.

In the aftermath, the second day of the festival (June 18) was subsequently canceled by the festical’s organizers, according to Asheville television station WLOS (News 13). 

“The name of the arrestee will not be listed because of being a juvenile,” according to the APD release.

“APD officers responded to reports of shots fired at a downtown festival in the area of Court Plaza around 8:51 p.m. on June 17,” the release noted.

“Patrol officers quickly arrived on the scene and found two juveniles who were victims of gunshot wounds. Both juveniles were transported to Mission Hospital with serious injuries. One has been released, and the other remains in critical but stable condition.

“Officers were able to locate two suspects nearby and took them into custody. Detectives were able to clear one and identify the other as the principal offender. With the assistance of the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office, the juvenile was charged with two counts of felonious assault with (a) deadly weapon, with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury.”

What’s more, “Officers and forensic technicians also recovered a 9mm pistol and a host of physical evidence that littered the park.

“Detectives and Forensic Technicians with the Criminal Investigations Division are continuing to investigate the incident.  If you have information related to this or any other crime, you can anonymously share information by texting TIP2APD to 847411 or use the TIP2APD smartphone app. You can also share information by calling 828-252-1110.,” the APD release stated.

Meanwhile, News 13 noted on June 17 that there was a “large Asheville police presence was reported downtown near Pack Square Park shortly after Day 1 of the city’s scheduled two-day Juneteenth festivities closed down for the night Saturday, June 17, just before 9 p.m.

“An Asheville Police Department spokesperson told News 13 a call about gunshots on Spruce Street came in at 8:51 p.m. Police said there were two victims with non-life-threatening injuries and that detectives are speaking with persons of interest in the shooting.

“Witnesses and vendors spoke with News 13 after the incident. One witness told News 13 they saw two ambulances leaving the scene and crime scene tape up around the event area, right near Pack’s Tavern.”

Further, News 13 reported, “A vendor at the Juneteenth event shared with News 13 they saw an argument between two people happening before hearing at least one gunshot, shortly after the vendor had closed up for the night around 8:30 p.m. The vendor said they saw one person then run away, down Spruce Street while the other hid in a vendor tent. 

“Spruce Street was closed off to traffic.

“Numbered yellow markers placed by officials could also be seen in the grass of Pack Square near a tent and generator. 

“A spokesperson for the City of Asheville shared Saturday night that the Juneteenth event originally scheduled for Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. at Pack Square Park had been canceled,” News 13 reported.

Juneteen is “a holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, enslaved people were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation,” according to Oxford Languages.