WALLER COUNTY, Texas — Seven people injured in shooting at nearby Trail Ride Meadow Party Prairie View A&M University Sunday night in Waller County, according to the sheriff’s office.
Caleb Peete, one of the event organizers, told KHOU 11 News by phone that the nonprofit PV Trail Ride has been hosting the event for three years, but this year is the first time a major incident has occurred. Told. He blames the shootings on “bad apples.”
A shooting was reported on Cameron Road near FM 362 around 10 p.m. When police arrived on the scene, they found four women, two men and a boy who were attending the Trail Ride meadow party shot.
Investigators say the event was held in conjunction with Prairie View A&M’s homecoming party. They believe the shooting started when an argument escalated, someone pulled out a gun and a bystander was shot.
Deputies said all of the victims suffered gunshot wounds to their lower legs, but none of their injuries were life-threatening.
The event was held about two miles from the Buc-ee location on Highway 290, which served as a staging area Sunday night. That’s where the victims were taken and flown to the hospital.
No arrests had been made as of Monday.
Witnesses say they saw signs of a safety issue before the shooting started
Chad Burns attended a trail ride party on Sunday.
“This was probably one of the best events I’ve ever been to, but as the night went on, it just got kind of wild,” Burns said.
Burns heard gunshots shortly after 10 p.m. and immediately evacuated.
“I was in a state of panic,” Burns said. “People scattered like cockroaches. They were gone.”
Mr Burns blamed security for what happened.
Waller County Judge Trey Duhon confirmed his office approved the permit, saying participants would have to be searched and searched for weapons in order to gain entry to the event.
“The security guard did not do his job,” Burns said.
Burns told KHOU 11 News he didn’t see any checks and even saw a protester with a gun. He claims he told the security guard about it, but the guard ignored him.
“I told him the young man had a gun as big as me,” Burns said. “He said he and hundreds of other people got guns.”
Mr. Barnes is arrested and hopes someone is held accountable.
“He put hundreds of lives at risk with the trigger of a gun,” Burns said.
Witnesses speak of shooting at event near Prairie View A&M
On Sunday night, emergency dispatch audio on FM 362 described the scene.
“We have multiple gunshot victims… We also have several EMTs on the way…” Waller County Dispatch said over the radio. “Stage right…stage right…that’s where the victim is at this moment…”
KHOU 11 News spoke to a woman who was there. Although she is not a Prairie View A&M student, the event was her PV Homecoming Trail Ride and Concert and the school said it was “not an official homecoming event for the university.”
“I was in the front row,” the woman said. “They were fighting. After they finished fighting, one girl was shot.”
“People were running and stepping on people,” said Waller County resident Josh Tillery. “As we were standing there, a girl walked up to me and said, ‘I think I’ve been shot.’
Tillery said there are hundreds of illegal parking lots on the land he farms, and the event causes trouble every year.
“What does it take? Will someone be shot every year to stop this?” he said. “It’s crazy. That doesn’t even make sense.”
Prairie View A&M releases statement regarding shooting incident
In response to this incident, Prairie View A&M released the following statement Monday morning.
“PVAMU is saddened and troubled by the senseless act of violence that occurred last night in Waller County. Although this was not an official PVAMU homecoming event and was not affiliated with the university, our campus community We are deeply concerned about this incident and all those affected.” The Waller County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation into this case. ”
Waller County Sheriff says security protocols were not followed
The Waller County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post Sunday that the rally was approved by a county judge and party organizers agreed to follow the judge’s instructions.
Investigators said they believe more than 1,000 people attended the event, with the Waller County 3rd Precinct Constable’s Office and another private security agency providing security.
Investigators said safety protocols set by the licensing authority and agreed to by organizers were not followed at the time of the shooting.
Editor’s note: KHOU 11 previously reported that security protocols were being followed, but a Waller County judge said they were not. See the judge’s statement below.
Waller County judge releases statement on shooting
Waller County Judge Trey Duhon issued the following statement regarding the shooting near Prairie View A&M. He also outlined the conditions of the permit agreed to by the organizers.
“The following is my statement regarding last night’s shooting incident that occurred at a trail ride/concert event near Cameron Road and FM 362. This event coincided with PVAMU’s Homecoming Weekend, but is not an official PVAMU event. was.
“First, because this incident is still under investigation, we will leave it to the WCSO office to provide information about what happened at the event and any arrests related to it. This event was held pursuant to a mass gathering permit that I granted on Thursday, October 26th.
“We started enforcing large gathering permits over three years ago after seeing these events held in the meadows, especially incidents that had happened in the past, starting to become a problem. The organizers of the Event organizers also attended the hearing and gave testimony. The owner lives near the event venue.
“The permit application was reviewed by multiple county departments, including but not limited to the Waller County Sheriff’s Office, the Waller County Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Department of Environmental Protection. A number of conditions were imposed on the granting of the permit. Security requirements were not limited to (although of the 35 security personnel, at least one-half had to be licensed security personnel and the other half had to be licensed security personnel) , event organizers said they plan to have at least 25 licensed peace officers). All attendees will be searched upon entering the event and will be searched for weapons. , organizers also had to follow a fire marshal’s report regarding safety plans, fire inspections, emergency stations and personnel, and there were liability insurance requirements.
“All parking is to be on-site, parking is prohibited on county roads or FM roads, and organizers will ensure that participants are aware that vehicles will be towed and that parking is prohibited. Event organizers were instructed to pick up all trash during the event and ensure the area was cleared of trash by morning.
“Organizers have been told to be mindful of noise levels and asked to finish their events by midnight at the latest.
“There were also a number of health and safety requirements, including a minimum of porta-potties, hand-washing facilities and bottled water. In addition to a fire safety plan demonstrating proper fire protection, organizers also ensured that venue plans were prepared in advance of the event for fire safety. This includes a traffic control plan, a health and safety plan, a safety plan, and a noise control plan to ensure unobstructed access for emergency vehicles.
“Based on the testimony provided at this mass gathering permit hearing, the permit was granted conditionally. It is clear that organizers have not met the permit conditions on a number of issues, and now An investigation is ongoing, not just the event itself, but the circumstances surrounding the event, parking on public streets, trash and litter, and permit requirements not being met.
“While it was the county’s hope that enforcing the large gathering ordinance would address many of the problems seen in the past with these events, we are not aware that these events are not being operated in a manner that respects human rights. We will look at our laws, public safety and the local community to see what we can do to prevent something like this from happening again. If necessary, Sheriff Guidry and I will work with state legislators to see what else we can do. Above all, there are legal things that can be done to ensure public safety and protect the community from negative impacts that it should not have to endure, and I will be meeting with PVAMU officials to discuss the situation.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the shooting and we hope they all recover from their injuries as quickly as possible. We also hope that WCSO’s investigation leads to the arrest of the perpetrators and that they face full charges.” “We hope they will face the consequences of their actions in Waller County Criminal Court.” ”