2 dead, 16 injured after shootings at Juneteenth celebrations in South Carolina, Oklahoma

USA Today

12 hours ago

Two people were killed and at least 16 others were injured after gun violence erupted in South Carolina and Oklahoma during Juneteenth celebrations, authorities said.
Police in Anderson County, South Carolina, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, are investigating two separate shootings that occurred on the night of June 21 as hundreds of people gathered for Juneteenth events. Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated annually on June 19, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War.
One woman was killed and nine others were wounded during a shooting near a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Anderson County, the county sheriff's office said in a statement on social media. A large crowd had gathered in the area for the county's sixth annual Juneteenth celebration.
Gunfire also broke out at the 2025 Tulsa Juneteenth Festival, according to the Tulsa Police Department. A 22-year-old man was killed in the shooting, and seven others were injured.
No arrests have been reported in either of the shootings as of June 22, authorities said. Both incidents remain under active investigation.
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Police: Argument escalated into the shooting in South Carolina
In an update on June 22, the Anderson County Sheriff's Office said detectives were continuing an extensive investigation into the shooting and have "pinpointed persons of interest."
The sheriff's office said a large crowd gathered along Scarborough Road in Anderson County, located near the Georgia border, about 36 miles southwest of Greenville, South Carolina. The crowd was in the area throughout the day on June 21, where "it remained a peaceful event to celebrate Juneteenth," according to the sheriff's office.
"However, as more people arrived, an argument ensued in the parking lot and multiple shots were fired with people scrambling throughout the area," the sheriff's office said in a statement on social media.
Law enforcement responded to a report of multiple people shot on Scarborough Road at around 10 p.m. local time, according to Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. More than 100 emergency personnel arrived to find a chaotic scene as hundreds of people fled from the scene, leaving behind shoes and debris in the roadway, the sheriff's office said.
Several people transported themselves to nearby hospitals, according to the sheriff's office, while one person was found dead at the scene "with debris and clothing scattered across the area."
The victim was identified as Laporshia Janae Gray Cobb, 35, from Anderson, Greenville News reported. She died as a result of a gunshot wound to the abdomen, and the case has been ruled a homicide, according to Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore.
Detectives were at the scene on June 22 to canvass and interview witnesses, the sheriff's office said. The agency has asked the public to contact the Anderson Area Crime Stoppers to provide any information related to the incident.
The sheriff's office noted that while the shooting occurred "outside within feet" of a Veterans of Foreign Wars post, the post does not have any affiliation with the Juneteenth event.
Tulsa police believe at least 2 suspects were involved in the shooting
Officers were working at the Tulsa Juneteenth Festival when they heard gunshots at around 11 p.m. local time on June 21, according to the Tulsa Police Department. Police described the event as busy, adding that "chaos erupted as people began running in multiple directions."
The festival took place in the city's Greenwood District, a historic freedom colony once known as "Black Wall Street" before it was destroyed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The neighborhood is now part of the Oklahoma State University–Tulsa campus and is located just north of downtown Tulsa.
As officers attempted to regain control of the area, police said a 22-year-old man was struck and killed under an overpass. Seven other people, including a 17-year-old and an elderly woman, were also hit by gunfire, police added.
The seven victims were transported to local hospitals for treatment. As of June 22, at least one person — identified as a 24-year-old man — was in critical condition, according to police.
Police said officers cleared the Greenwood area as many people fled into other parts of downtown Tulsa and caused disturbances in the city's historic Blue Dome District. Numerous bars in the area exceeded capacity and requested assistance from police to manage overflow.
Responding officers and the Tulsa Fire Department "were able to stabilize the downtown area," police said.
Police noted that the crime scene extended over several blocks, and the entire Greenwood neighborhood was closed from the I-244 overpass to John Hope Franklin Boulevard. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was also called in to assist local police with the investigation.
"Several individuals we interviewed were unwilling to provide much information about the shooters, and others were unsure where the shots had originated," police said in a statement on social media. "At this time, we believe there were at least two different shooters, and it remains unclear who the intended targets were."
'This pattern of violence must be stopped'
The shooting at the Tulsa Juneteenth Festival occurred amid a "weekend of shootings at three other locations with numerous victims," police said.
In response to the recent spate of violence, Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols said he directed the city's police chief and public safety team to "intensify their efforts downtown and across the city." Nichols added that local officials are investing in long-term strategies, such as youth outreach and community-based violence intervention, to "address the root causes of violence."
"These events are showing a pattern of brazen lawlessness by individuals who don't respect the lives of others or the authority of those tasked to keep people safe," Nichols said in a statement on June 22. "This pattern of violence must be stopped as this city belongs to all of us, and we are strongest when we protect one another. We cannot and will not normalize this kind of harm in our community."
The organizers of the festival acknowledged the incident in a statement, saying they are "actively cooperating" with the Tulsa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies as the investigation continues.
"We have been made aware of a shooting that occurred this evening during the Tulsa Juneteenth Festival. Our on-site security and medical teams responded immediately, and we remain in close communication with the first responders," the organizers said. "Out of respect for those impacted, all programming is currently canceled. Please keep our community in your prayers."
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Contributing: Jose Franco, Greenville News