LOS ANGELES: Seven people were shot and two have died in gunfire on Tuesday at a high school graduation ceremony held on Virginia Commonwealth University’s Monroe Park campus, causing hundreds of attendees to flee in panic.
Police have arrested a 19-year-old suspect who tried to escape from the scene. According to Richmond’s interim police chief Rick Edwards, he will be charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
Among the two killed was an 18-year-old male student who had just graduated, while the other was a 36-year-old man who was there for the graduation, said Mr Edwards, without revealing the identity of any victims or the suspect.
Another person was found armed with the handgun and was initially detained, but police now believe he wasn’t involved in the attack. The shooting took place in Monroe Park after the ceremony had ended at the Virginia Commonwealth University campus.
“Is nothing sacred any longer?” Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney asked at a news conference.
He said, “A child should be able to go their graduation and walk at their graduation and enjoy the accomplishment with their school friends and families,” and added calling the shooting a “selfish act”.
In an alert sent to students on Tuesday, the university said that police were on the scene to respond to the shooting. The alert said, “There is no ongoing serious threat to the community but there is a heavy police presence at Monroe Park.”
