Shooting After High School Graduation Kills 2, Injures 5 in Virginia
Two people have died after gunfire struck several victims Tuesday night outside of a theater where a high school graduation had just finished in Richmond, Virginia.
According to interim Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards, who spoke with reporters at a news conference, several off-duty officers were working security inside Altria Theater during Huguenot High School's graduation ceremony on Tuesday.
At 5:13 p.m., the officers inside the theater reported hearing gunshots outside and radioed other Richmond police officers, who were working traffic duty. Authorities found seven people wounded at Monroe Park across the street from the ceremony, including three with life-threatening injuries, Edwards said.
In a later news briefing, Edwards said that two of the shooting victims had died; a 31-year-old sustained life-threatening injuries; and the other four victims, all males, ages 14, 32, 55 and 58, face non-life-threatening injuries.
Other victims transported themselves or were taken by Richmond Ambulance Authority to local hospitals with non-gunshot wounds, Edwards said. This includes two victims who fell, one struck by a car, and three others suffering from anxiety who were treated at the scene of the shooting or at a local hospital. The police chief later reported that the victim who was struck by a car is a 9-year-old girl, who had been treated at the scene. She is now at a local hospital, continuing to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Edwards said that officers have detained a 19-year-old suspect. Police previously reported that they had two suspects in custody, but Edwards clarified later in the night, saying that one of them, who was armed, is believed to have been "uninvolved in the shooting itself."
Police will seek second-degree murder charges and more counts could follow, Edwards said.
"At this time I'd like to just express my concerns and sympathy for those who have lost their lives today, and those whose lives were forever changed by the events today," Edwards said during the briefing.
Newsweek has reached out to Richmond police headquarters via email for additional information.
According to an update from Richmond Public Schools (RPS), all classes on June 7 are canceled across the entire district "out of an abundance of caution." RPS has also canceled all high school graduation ceremonies that were planned for later this week and will "share further updates soon about rescheduling."
RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras said during a news conference Tuesday night that the shooting occurred after graduation, while students were outside with their families and friends taking pictures.
"I don't have any more words on this," Kamras said. "I'm just tired of seeing people get shot, our kids get shot. And I beg of the entire community to stop, to just stop. Our kids can't take it, our teachers can't take it, our families can't take it anymore. I beg of you to stop."
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney asserted during the news conference that those responsible for the shooting would be brought to justice, saying it was "not just for the families involved but for the city."
"Is nothing sacred any longer?" Stoney added.
It's unclear if any students or families from the Huguenot graduation ceremony were involved in the shooting. The park where the gunfire struck is also on Virginia Commonwealth University's Monroe Park campus. According to a report from CNN, the university sent out an alert at 5:15 p.m. regarding a shooting at the park, but the college website was updated an hour later to say there was no ongoing threat.
Update 06/06/2023, 9:44 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and background.
