Gunfire broke out at a Juneteenth celebration Saturday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma, killing one person and wounding seven others, according to police and the organizers of the event. No arrests have been made.
The 2025 Tulsa Juneteenth Festival took place in the city's Greenwood district, historically home to the affluent community known as "Black Wall Street" and, now, part of the Oklahoma State University campus. It consisted of a series of programs held over multiple days, with a runway show scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. local time Saturday evening. A national holiday observed on June 19 each year, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and celebrations around the country tend to be weeklong.
Officers working at the Tulsa festival heard gunshots at around 11 p.m. Saturday, while the event was still busy, the Tulsa Police Department said, adding that "chaos erupted as people began running in multiple directions."
A 22-year-old man was killed in the shooting, according to the police department. Seven others were injured, including a 17-year-old and an elderly woman. Police said all were taken to local hospitals for treatment. At least one 24-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition early Sunday morning, according to police.
Neither the victim nor any of the injured people have been named publicly. Police said they believe at least two different shooters are responsible, but no arrests have been made, and their intended targets were unclear. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was assisting Tulsa police in what the department called "a very active investigation."
The organizers of the Juneteenth festival acknowledged there had been a shooting in a statement released late Saturday night.
"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," they said in the statement.
"We are actively cooperating with the Tulsa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies as the investigation continues. Our of respect for those impacted, all programming is currently canceled. Please keep our community in your prayers. We will share additional updates as more information becomes available."
