wo folks had been killed and 5 others injured in a taking pictures at a highschool commencement ceremony in Virginia.

A man with 4 handguns fired right into a crowd outdoors the ceremony for Huguenot High School within the state capital Richmond, police stated.

Hundreds of individuals together with students in commencement robes ran for security, witnesses stated.

Police stated they arrested a suspect, a 19-year-old man, who they stated knew at the least one of many victims.

Interim Richmond police chief Rick Edwards stated one of many individuals who was killed was an 18-year-old male pupil who had simply graduated, whereas the opposite was a 36-year-old man who was there for the commencement.

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He didn't affirm a report from Richmond TV station WWBT that the victims had been father and son.

The suspect fled the scene on foot and was captured in possession of 4 handguns, three of which can have been fired, police stated.

As effectively as 5 injured by gunfire, who sustained non-life-threatening accidents, two folks suffered falls and a nine-year outdated lady “was hit by a car during the melee”, he continued.

The taking pictures at round 5.15pm on Tuesday happened in Monroe Park after the ceremony had ended on the Virginia Commonwealth University campus.

“Is nothing sacred any longer?” Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney requested at a news convention.

“A child should be able to go their graduation and walk at their graduation and enjoy the accomplishment with their friends and families,” he stated, calling the taking pictures a “selfish act”.

School board member Jonathan Young informed WWBT that graduates and different attendees had been exiting the theatre once they heard about 20 gunshots in fast succession.

“That prompted, as you would expect, hundreds of persons in an effort to flee the gunfire to return to the building,” Mr Young stated.

“It materialised in a stampede,” he stated.

The faculty district stated a distinct commencement scheduled for afterward Tuesday had been cancelled “out of an abundance of caution” and that faculties can be closed on Wednesday.