Houston Police Seek Help In Finding Caribbean Festival Shooter

Houston Caribbean Festival 2013 Band of the Year.

News Americas, HOUSTON, Texas, Mon. July 7, 2014: The Houston Police Department is calling for people with information to come forward following a shooting in the early hours of July 5th at the Houston Caribbean Festival that left four people wounded.

An unidentified man opened fire at around 1:55 a.m. at the J’ouvert portion of the event Saturday morning, leaving four men wounded by gun fire and two women injured as they tried to flee the area, Houston Police spokesman Jodi Silva said.

Silva said the shooting victims were taken to two different hospitals, and one man was in critical condition and not expected to survive. She added that said about 30 off-duty policemen were at the festival to provide security but they were on the perimeter of the arena.

The organizer of the festival had medical care personnel at the arena that gave first aid to the victims, Silva said. They were assisted by people at the party who had medical training.

The Houston Caribbean Festival is an annual event that was set to run from July 1-6th.

“Everybody was having a good time, until someone shot a firearm,” Silva said.

Police is seeking information now on the shooter.

Organizers of the event, via their website, expressed “condolences” to all the families affected by the “tragedy” and said they “will work with the proper authorities to ensure that all measures are reviewed which will allow us to continue to celebrate our cultured diversity through a festive environment.”

“The mission of the Houston Caribbean Festival is to promote and preserve our diverse Caribbean culture to our fellow Houstonians and the world,” the statement added. “We would like the public to know that the Houston Caribbean Festival’s first priority in planning any event is the safety of our supporters.”