A high school graduation ceremony in Richmond, Virginia took a tragic turn.
On Tuesday evening, gunfire erupted outside the Altria Theater. The shooting claimed two lives and left many others wounded.
Authorities arrested a 19-year-old male in connection with the incident. Preliminary investigations show that there may have been a known connection between the suspect and at least one of the victims. This discovery hints at a possible motive.
The shooting happened around 5:15 p.m., just as the ceremony was wrapping up. Police officers on duty at the graduation were the first to respond. They were confronted with a horrifying scene of multiple victims with gunshot wounds.
The deceased were identified as an 18-year-old male and a 36-year-old male. Their names have not yet been revealed for the sake of privacy.
Four firearms were recovered from the scene, although one of them has been ruled out as irrelevant to the case. The remaining firearms are being carefully examined for any potential links to the incident.
The calamity didn’t stop at gunfire. Five individuals were shot but were fortunate to sustain injuries not deemed life-threatening.
However, several more were treated for injuries suffered in the aftermath. One person was hit by a vehicle during the chaos.
The event in question was a graduation ceremony for Huguenot High School students, held at the Altria Theater. The location of the incident, Monroe Park, sits adjacent to the theater. After the shooting, another planned ceremony was promptly canceled.
The horrifying event led to the closure of all city schools the following day as a precautionary measure.