ROUND ROCK, Texas — Cynthia Simons recounts looking for her 4-year-old daughter among the crowd when gunfire erupted at a Juneteenth event in Round Rock Saturday night.
She said time slowed down and when she finally reached her, instincts kicked and she shielded her daughter until the gunfire stopped.
It's a memory Simons, like many others who attended the annual Juneteenth celebration at Old Settlers Park, will hold onto: Running for their lives and hoping to make it out alive.
Two people were killed and 14 others will wear the scars marked by a shooting sparked by a fight between two groups, per the Round Rock Police Department (RRPD).
Simons is grateful she made it out okay, but wonders in retrospect if there were enough security measures in place.
"Regardless of if they are at the Moody Center or if they are outside a park, you have to have proper protocols and policies in place to prevent the opportunity for something of this magnitude [to happen]," said Simons.
Round Rock police noted the department did have an operation plan in place. 22 law enforcement personnel were assigned and spread out throughout the event. There were also two sky watch towers with officers overlooking the park. And both the fire department and EMS were on standby.
"For someone to destroy that peace and that celebration in just an instant ... [It] angers me," said RRPD Chief Allen Banks.
An angry Simons shares and hopes people will recognize the tragedy as yet another example of why she believes gun policies need to be changed.
"We need better gun control policies. I'm not saying take everyone's guns, but responsible gun ownership is something that we have to look at when people are increasingly dying by the hands of guns," said Simons. "I think that we should be taking all of the safety precautions that we can in order to try to eliminate the opportunity for something like this to occur.”
For Angela Carroll who is also a survivor, she asked the question, "When is it going to be enough?"
Carroll said this isn't the Round Rock she knows, but has come to the grave acceptance that a mass shooting at a public event is considered the norm.
"I've accepted the fact that this is our norm, to be completely honest. And there are multiple points leading up until the day that I was thinking about what would my exit plan be," said Carroll.
Carroll said she has been in contact with council members and believes more community members and advocates need to come together not just on a local level, but also toward the state legislature.
"There are a lot of images of bodies and crying families. They never ... they will never get out of my brain," said Carroll.
Mental health resources
For those in need of mental health assistance following this incident, the Round Rock Fire Department's Crisis Response Unit can be reached during the special extended office hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Friday, June 21, by calling 512-218-5501.
Outside of those hours, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Disaster Distress Helpline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 1-800-985-5990.
Other general mental health support services include the Crisis Text Hotline (text HOME to 741741), the National Crisis and Suicide Prevention Lifeline (dial 988) and the Bluebonnet Trails Crisis Hotline (call 1-800-841-1255).