HEMPSTEAD, Texas – Waller County Judge Trey Duhon said organizers for a trail ride in Hempstead, Texas, where seven bystanders were injured in a shooting near Prairie View A&M University Sunday didn’t meet permit conditions for the event.
Four women, two men, and one child were hit by gunfire and left injured at the trail ride event which was being held at 35028 Cameron Rd., according to the Waller County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said it appeared that a fight at the event resulted in the shooting.
In a statement, Duhon confirmed that while the trail ride coincided with PVAMU’s homecoming weekend, it was not an official university event.
“This event was being held pursuant to a Mass Gathering Permit that I granted on Thursday, October 26th,” Duhon stated.
According to the judge, the organizers of the event went through the proper steps in terms of applying for a mass gathering permit, and a hearing on that permit application was held last Thursday at the Waller County Courthouse. Duhon said the county started enforcing a mass gathering permit over three years ago when officials saw that some of the events being held in pastures started to “become an issue.”
In addition to county personnel, Duhon said the event organizers attended the hearing and provided testimony, in addition to a nearby property owner who lives near the event location.
Duhon said the permit application was reviewed by multiple county departments, including but not limited to WCSO, the Waller County Fire Marshal’s Office, and the city’s environmental department. In addition, the judge said there were several conditions placed on the granting of the permit, including but not limited to, security requirements (35 security personnel, over half of which had to be licensed peace officers and the other half licensed security officers - although event organizers said that they were going to have 25 licensed peace officers at a minimum).
“All attendees were to be searched and wanded for weapons as they entered the event. Organizers were also required to comply with the Fire Marshal’s Report regarding safety plan, fire inspection, and emergency stations and personnel. There were also liability insurance requirements as well,” Duhon stated. “There were also liability insurance requirements as well.”
Duhon said all parking was to be on-site and there was no parking allowed on the county roads or FM roads. Organizers were told that vehicles would be towed and that they were to make sure attendees were aware of that prohibition on parking, and organizers were supposed to have personnel on the roads to prevent any parking on those roads. Event organizers were also reportedly instructed to have all trash picked up during the event. Organizers were reportedly told to watch noise levels and the event was required to end no later than midnight.
“Based on testimony that was provided at this mass gathering permit hearing, the permit was conditionally granted,” Duhon said. “Obviously, the organizers failed to meet permit conditions on several issues, and an investigation is ongoing at this time, not only into the shooting itself, but the circumstances surrounding the event, the parking situation on public roads, the trash and litter, and the permit requirements that were not met.”
Duhon noted that the same organizers held the event last year without significant incidents, other than parking on the roads, trash, and litter. Duhon also stated he is looking to see what can be done to ensure similar safety issues don’t happen in the future.
“If needed, Sheriff Guidry & I will work with our state legislators to see what else we can do legislatively to ensure public safety above all else and to protect the community from negative impacts that they should not have to endure,” he is quoted saying.
Duhon said he also plans on meeting with university officials to discuss the situation.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the shooting victims and I hope that they all recover from their injuries as quickly as possible,” the statement concluded.