2 dead in shooting after high school graduation ceremony in Virginia capital

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According to the police, a shooting took place after a high school graduation ceremony in Virginia’s capital, resulting in the death of two individuals.

Law enforcement officials also announced that a 19-year-old suspect, who was in custody, will face two counts of second-degree murder. The incident left a total of seven people injured.

The city’s chief stated that the victims who lost their lives were males aged 18 and 36. While their identities were not disclosed, the police believe that the suspect was acquainted with at least one of the victims.

Multiple handguns were recovered by the police.

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: The following is the earlier story by AP.

RICHMOND, Va. — Authorities and witnesses reported that gunshots erupted outside a downtown theater where a recent high school graduation ceremony had concluded, resulting in the injury of seven individuals, three of whom suffered life-threatening wounds. Attendees were gripped with panic, fleeing the scene, weeping, and clutching their children.

Interim Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards announced at a press conference that two suspects were arrested near Virginia Commonwealth University following the shooting. Additionally, at least 12 others received injuries or required treatment for anxiety due to the chaotic situation.

Edwards explained that officers within the theater heard gunfire at approximately 5:15 p.m. and promptly alerted the police stationed outside, who discovered multiple victims.

Authorities reassured the public that there was no ongoing threat to the community. The identities of those in custody and the injured individuals were not immediately released.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney addressed the press conference, stating, “We will exhaust all efforts to ensure that those responsible for this act are brought to justice… This should never occur anywhere.”

According to a message from Richmond Public Schools posted on their website, the shooting occurred in Monroe Park, situated across the street from the theater and adjacent to the college campus, following a graduation ceremony for Huguenot High School.

Jonathan Young, a school board member, recounted to Richmond TV station WWBT that as graduates and other attendees were exiting the theater, they were startled by approximately 20 rapid gunshots.

“As expected, this prompted hundreds of people to flee back into the building to escape the gunfire,” Young stated.

He added, “It turned into a stampede.”

Tracy Walker, a police spokeswoman, reported that two individuals were treated for falls, a juvenile was struck by a car but sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and nine others were treated at the scene for minor injuries or anxiety.

Upon hearing the gunshots and subsequent sirens, 69-year-old resident John Willard stepped onto the balcony of his 18th-floor apartment to witness the commotion below. He observed students fleeing in their graduation attire and parents embracing their children.

“There was a distraught woman in front of the apartment block next to ours who was crying and wailing,” Willard recalled, expressing deep sadness over the scene.

Edythe Payne, who was assisting her daughter in selling flowers outside the theater to students leaving the ceremony, recounted the panic that ensued on Main Street, which was bustling with people at the time.

“I felt awful because some elderly individuals were present at the graduation, and they were knocked to the ground,” Payne shared.

The school district announced the cancellation of a different graduation scheduled for later that day “as a precautionary measure,” and schools would remain closed on Wednesday.

___ Reporting contributed by Big Big News journalists Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Jonathan Drew in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Beatrice Dupuy in New York.

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• ABC News: Two killed in shooting after high school graduation ceremony in Virginia capital
• CNN: Shooting erupts after high school graduation in Virginia, leaving 2 dead
• NBC News: Two dead in shooting after high school graduation ceremony in Virginia
• Richmond Times-Dispatch: Two killed, multiple injured in shooting near downtown Richmond theater
• CBS News: Two dead, several injured in shooting after Virginia high school graduation