Virginia high school graduation shooting suspect arraigned, father and son identified by family as victims

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The 19-year-old facing murder charges in a Virginia high school graduation ceremony shooting was arraigned Wednesday morning, as family identified the two deceased as a father and son. 

Amari Ty-Jon Pollard, 19, of Henrico, Virginia, was arraigned on two counts of second-degree murder, Richmond’s top prosecutor Colette McEachin said in an email to The Associated Press. Pollard said he intends to hire an attorney, so the court adjourned the case to a date later this month, McEachin wrote.

Pollard was ordered held without bond. Court records did not yet list an attorney who could speak on his behalf, according to the AP.

Online detention records show Pollard remains in the custody of the City of Richmond Sheriff's Office. following the deaths of 18-year-old Shawn Jackson and Jackson’s stepfather, 36-year-old Renzo Smith.

Jackson's mother, Tameeka Jackson-Smith, told The Associated Press her son and Smith died in the shooting. She said the 9-year-old daughter she shared with Smith was hit by a car in the chaos that erupted afterward. The girl was treated for leg injuries and released from the hospital, Jackson-Smith said.

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Jackson-Smith said the family had watched the graduation, then got separated in a large crowd after they walked outside. 

"He was so happy — oh my God — because he got to graduate. He worked hard," she said. 

The mother said she was walking toward her husband and son in a nearby park to reunite when she saw a man run up behind them and start shooting.

"I don’t know if he was shooting at everybody because so many people got shot all over in the area. There were like seven people on the ground," she said.

United Communities Against Crime, a local organization, first shared the identities of the two deceased victims on behalf of the family.

At a press conference Wednesday morning, Interim Police Chief Rick Edwards said the suspected shooter had attended the Huguenot High School graduation ceremony, hosted at the state capital’s city-owned Altria Theater, across the street from a large park and in the middle of the Virginia Commonwealth University campus. 

He opened fire after exciting the theater, and was apprehended in the area by VCU Police, Edwards said. 

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Police believe the suspect knew at least one of the victims, but have not disclosed a potential motive. 

A total of seven people were shot, including the two deceased. The five others were all males between ages 14 and 58, police said. 

A 31-year-old man remained in critical condition with a life-threatening wound, Edwards said, while the other four victims had injuries not considered life-threatening.

At least 12 others were otherwise injured or treated for anxiety. 

In addressing the media Tuesday evening, Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears spoke of "gang activities" and "criminal activities" permeating the city of Richmond. 

"This is not about law-abiding gun owners. This is about gangs," the Republican said, pushing back against those calling for tighter gun control.

"Who is in charge? Is that the mayor? Is that the chief?" she added, referring to Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, a Democrat, and Edwards. "I mean, let’s start naming names," she said. 

At the press conference Wednesday, Richmond Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras said two students at Armstrong High School were shot Tuesday night in a separate incident unrelated to the shooting at the graduation ceremony for Huguenot High School, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.