Zoom Image
Police car in front of the scene: The alleged attacker is said to have known at least one of the dead
Photo: Mike Kropf / dpa
Two people have been shot dead in an attack after a graduation ceremony in the US state of Virginia. Five others were shot, as the police in Richmond announced late Tuesday evening (local time) at a press conference. The fatalities were two men aged 18 and 36.
The police reportedly took a 19-year-old suspect into custody. He is said to know at least one of the dead. He was charged with two counts of manslaughter. The background to the incident in Richmond was initially unclear. It was unclear whether the incident was related to the graduation ceremony.
More injured by the "stampede" of the refugees
The attack occurred around 17:15 p.m. outside a theater in Richmond. The theatre is directly adjacent to a park. There, apparently, the shots were fired. The "New York Times" quotes a member of the responsible school board, Jonathan Young, who was present at the attack: They had just celebrated the graduation of about 300 students in the park when about 20 shots were fired there. As a result, people tried to flee back to the theatre as quickly as possible. As a result, more people were injured.
According to the New York Times, the head of Richmond Public Schools, Jason Kamras, said at a press conference: "I'm so tired of seeing people being shot over and over again." This must come to an end, he said. "Our children can't stand it. Our teachers can't stand it. Our families can't stand it. I beg you: it must stop."
has/dpa-AFX