7 Injured in Virginia Capital Shooting After Graduation Event

Seven people were shot, with three of them sustaining life-threatening injuries, after a high school graduation in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday, police said.

Two people are in custody, Richmond interim police chief Rick Edwards said at a press conference.

The incident took place near Virginia Commonwealth University’s Monroe Park campus. In a statement on its website, Richmond Public Schools confirmed the shooting took place in Monroe Park, near the college campus, shortly after the Huguenot High School graduation ceremony.

Officers present at a nearby theater, where the graduation was taking place, heard gunshots and immediately went outside to find multiple victims with gunshot wounds, Edwards said.

Among the victims, four had injuries that were not deemed life-threatening.

Virginia Commonwealth University promptly issued an online alert at approximately 5:30 p.m., informing the community about the police response to the gunfire. State police also issued an alert advising people to avoid the area.

Edwards said at the press conference there is no ongoing threat to the community following the incident.

Due to concerns for safety, the school district decided to cancel a separate graduation scheduled for later that day “out of an abundance of caution.” As a result, schools will remain closed on Wednesday.

“We’re going to do everything we can to bring the individuals involved in this to justice,” Mayor Levar Stoney said at the press conference. “This should not be happening anywhere.”

This is a developing story.