Mother remembers son, husband killed on Graduation Day in Richmond

By Elizabeth Holmes

Click here for updates on this story

    RICHMOND, Virginia (WTVR) — A Richmond family, as well as city and school leaders, are mourning the loss of a father and son shot and killed after a high school graduation.

Shawn Jackson, a graduating senior at Huguenot High School, was killed beside his stepfather, 36-year-old Lorenzo Smith, roughly 20 minutes after walking across the stage at the Altria Theater to receive his diploma last Tuesday.

“I really just don’t know what to say,” Tameeka Jackson-Smith said at a vigil Sunday afternoon at Abner Clay Park. “I lost my baby and my husband. We were just so happy playing around. I just can’t believe it. I’m still in shock.”

Five other people were shot, all last known to be in stable condition.

A nine-year-old, related to Jackson and Smith, was hit by a car in the chaos. Roughly a dozen other people in the area were injured.

Smith’s sister, Darrell Glover, said her brother was beside his stepson Jackson when the shooting happened.

“My brother died protecting his son,” Glover said.

The mass shooting has rocked the Richmond community. Youth violence, Richmond City Council and School Board members say, has happened far too often.

“I pray with all my heart and all my soul, that this is the last vigil that I ever have to go to,” Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras said.

“Superintendent Kamras, you and I looked at each other at a vigil earlier this year, and I think it was our 47th one, for an RPS student,” Richmond City Council member Stephanie Lynch said. “That is unacceptable. Unacceptable.”

Gun control was top of mind for City Councilmember Anne Frances Lambert.

“I’m all for banning any gun in the City of Richmond,” she said. “Ban all the assault weapons, AK48s, ban them all from the City of Richmond. And I’ll do anything in my power to do that.”

Richmond’s Acting Police Chief Rick Edwards shared his condolences, urging the public to remain peaceful as they grieve.

“Revenge isn’t the answer. If any of you are thinking about retaliating, please don’t. Superintendent Kamras said it at the first press conference. Just stop. Just stop,” Edwards said. “Let us handle it. We’re on this case. We know what happened. Let us handle it. And let the court and let the justice system handle it.”

Grieving friends and family are now holding on to this hope of seeing their loved ones again.

“You’re gone, you’re never forgotten,” one friend shared. “You’re going to fly high. You’re going to fly high. Until we meet again.”

There will be a celebration of life for Jackson and Smith in Henrico County on Thursday.

The shooting suspect, 19-year-old Amari Pollard of Henrico County, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and could face more charges.

In a press conference Wednesday, police said he and Jackson had had a dispute for over a year. He’s being held without bond.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.