Juneteenth organizers speak out about Columbia shooting
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Juneteenth organizers spoke out as one man was shot after the event ended Friday at Douglass Park in Columbia.
A news release from the Columbia Police Department said officers arrested 19-year-old Gerrod Taylor of Columbia just before 9 p.m. in the 3500 block of Zinnia Drive. The department suspects him of shooting a 33-year-old man at the park.
The department said it arrested Taylor on suspicion of first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and armed criminal action.
Jaque Cox an organizer of the Juneteenth Celebration said he was still at Douglass Park after the event ended to finish cleaning the area when he heard loud popping noises come from the basketball courts.
Cox said he did not think much of the noise at first as fireworks went off earlier in the day, but then he noticed a crowd of people gathering around someone at the basketball courts.
Cox said he then went down to the basketball courts to see what happened and that’s when he saw someone laying on the court hurt.
“They were putting pressure on his leg," Cox said. "And people [were] trying to stay clear and [then] we noticed it was in his leg."
The Columbia Police Department, Columbia Fire Department, and an ambulance responded to the park around 8:30 p.m. after multiple shots were fired.
Police said the shooting happened at the basketball courts while hundreds were gathered at the park for a Juneteenth celebration. However, organizers of the event told ABC 17 News the event ended at least an hour before the shooting took place.
Cox said it was very emotional for a lot of people as there were many children in the area.
Joshua Williams, another Juneteeth organizer said he was very disappointed that something like this happened on a day where the community came together to celebrate.
“We didn't want to see the community grow apart during a positive event celebrating our independence," Williams said. "And also coming from us. We don't want to see that black on black crime.”
Cox said the majority of the people who attended the Juneteenth event at Douglass Park were gone before the shooting happened. He said he wants the public to understand the two incidents were not connected.
"What happened down here was unfortunate," Cox said. "But it was not a part of our event. We were celebrating life, liberation, culture, beauty and beautiful things."
Williams said that Columbia needs leaders in the community to step up and stop the violence.
"Don't sit there and watch it all unfold," Williams said. "Stand up and be a leader and say 'Hey young man, hey young lady, don't do that,' Say, 'Let's talk about it. Let's do it different.'"
Williams said he believes the community is getting stronger in Columbia, where a lot of positive things are happening.
He hopes the community continues to keep building up rather than taking steps backward after this incident.
