RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — City leaders are calling for peace after seeing four separate shootings within one mile in a three day span, including at a local high school.
Two students were shot in the parking lot outside George Wythe High School on Thursday, April 28, and a man was shot and killed just yards away from the high school on Minefee Street that same night. Another man was still hospitalized after being shot outside a nearby convenience store on Sunday, April 30.
An 18-year-old George Wythe student was arrested over the weekend in connection to the shooting in the school parking lot, but the shooting has still left the school community shaken.
Richmond Police and city and school leaders came back to George Wythe High School on Monday evening to attend a “Vigil for Peace” and to call for an end to gun violence.
“I don’t want to have another vigil,” Jason Kamras, RPS Superintendent said at Monday’s vigil. “Our kids are hurting.”
Just in March, four other Richmond students were shot or grazed by bullets in one night. One was accidentally killed.
Acting Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards added the department has seen a total of 26 murders this year — 40% of them stemming from arguments, like the shooting at George Wythe.
Gun violence towards Richmond Schools students has also led to an impact on mental health. Kamras says the district is on track to have 600 suicide assessments from students this year alone.
On Monday night, Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Collette McEachin and George Wythe Principal Kevin Olds emphasized the need for open and honest communication amongst families to stop gun violence in schools before it happens.
“We can fix this, we can minimize this, we can prevent this,” McEachin said.
“Let’s have a conversation about realistic expectations,” Olds added. “And then we talk about socially appropriate behaviors that impact negatively inside of our building.”
Richmond Police also told 8News that the department will soon hold a strategic meeting to figure out how they can better connect with the communities most impacted by recent gun violence.
