A night meant to honor freedom turned tragic Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when gunfire erupted during the city’s Juneteenth Festival, killing one person and injuring seven others. Police say the investigation is ongoing, with no arrests made as of Sunday morning.
The shooting occurred around 11 p.m. in the Greenwood District, the historic area once known as Black Wall Street and now home to part of the Oklahoma State University campus. Officers already stationed at the scene heard shots ring out and rushed to respond as chaos swept through the crowd.
According to the Tulsa Police Department, a 22-year-old man was killed in the shooting. Seven others, including a 17-year-old and an elderly woman, were wounded and transported to local hospitals. At least one 24-year-old victim remains in critical condition.
CBS News reported that the 2025 Tulsa Juneteenth Festival had been a multi-day event featuring programs and cultural celebrations, with a fashion runway show wrapping up earlier that evening.
Juneteenth, now recognized as a federal holiday, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and is marked by events across the country.
Tulsa police say the gunfire broke out while the festival was still active and heavily attended. "Chaos erupted as people began running in multiple directions," the department said in a statement. Authorities believe there were at least two shooters involved, but the motive and intended targets remain unclear.
Neither the victim nor the wounded have been publicly identified. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is assisting in what police are calling a "very active investigation," and are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS.
Festival organizers released a statement late Saturday acknowledging the violence and expressing their condolences.
"Our on-site security and medical teams responded immediately," the statement read. "We are actively cooperating with the Tulsa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies. Out of respect for those impacted, all programming is currently canceled. Please keep our community in your prayers."
The shooting marks another somber chapter for Greenwood, a neighborhood that has carried the legacy of both tragedy and resilience for over a century.
What began as a celebration of progress and unity ended in panic, leaving a community once again grieving and searching for answers.
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