The authorities have already arrested the alleged perpetrator of the attack, a 19-year-old youth, whom they seek to charge with two counts of second-degree murder. So far this year, 278 mass shootings have been reported in the United States.
Two people died and seven others were injured this Tuesday in a shooting during a graduation ceremony at a high school in Richmond, in the state of Virginia, local authorities reported.
An 18-year-old student and a 36-year-old man who attended the event were identified as the two fatalities in this attack, as reported by the acting chief of the Richmond Police, the state capital, Rick Edwards, at a conference press.
Authorities have already arrested the alleged perpetrator of the attack, a 19-year-old youth, whom they are seeking to charge with two counts of second-degree murder, Edwards added.
Police believe that the person responsible knew “at least one” of the two fatalities.
Among the injured, who are mostly adult men, according to the interim police chief, is a nine-year-old girl, who was “hit” by a car and who is being treated at a hospital in the area.
Several police officers who were inside the compound where the graduation was being held reported hearing the noise of bullets around 5:30 p.m. local time (22:00 GMT), the officer explained.
These officers called for reinforcements, who later went to the scene, where they found the wounded.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney offered his condolences to the victims and their families during the same press conference, noting that the attack was not only “tragic” but also “traumatic” for those present as it was during a ceremony of graduation.
“What comes to mind is asking, is nothing sacred anymore?” the mayor said.
So far this year, 278 mass shootings -with more than 4 victims, injured or dead- have been reported in the country, according to the organization Gun Violence Archive.
