PICTURED: Army vet, 36, and son, 18, shot dead at high school graduation ceremony in Virginia

An 18-year-old student who had just received his diploma at his high school graduation was killed alongside his stepfather when a gunman opened fire on hundreds of people who gathered in downtown Richmond, Virginia, park.

Shawn Jackson, 18, and his stepfather, Renzo Smith, 36, died in the shooting at Monroe Park Tuesday afternoon around 5pm, the graduate’s mother Tameeka Jackson-Smith confirmed to the Associated Press. 

She said her and Smith’s nine-year-old daughter was hit by a car in the chaos that erupted afterward. The girl was treated for leg injuries and released from the hospital. 

Five other people, aged between 14 and 58, were wounded on Tuesday in the shooting, which sent hundreds fleeing in panic outside the state capital’s Altria Theater after the graduation ceremony for Huguenot High School. At least one is in critical condition, while the others sustained non-life-threatening injuries. At least 12 others were injured or treated for anxiety due to the mayhem, according to police.

The suspect, Amari Pollard, 19, was arraigned Wednesday morning on two counts of second-degree murder, Colette McEachin, a prosecutor, said in an email to the Associated Press. 

Shawn Jackson, 18, (right) and his stepfather, Renzo Smith, 36, (left) died in the shooting at Monroe Park on Tuesday afternoon around 5pm

Smith used to serve in the Army, according to his wife’s Facebook page 

Pollard said he intends to hire an attorney, so the court continued the case until a hearing set for later this month, McEachin wrote.

Pollard is being held without bond. Police believe that Jackson and Pollard were rivals.’ 

‘They knew each other and had an ongoing dispute,’ Police Chief Rick Edwards said.  

Jackson-Smith said the family had just watched graduation, then got separated in a large crowd after they walked outside. ‘He was so happy – oh my God – because he got to graduate. He worked hard.’

A GoFundMe has been started for the Jackson-Smith family, raising more than $10,000 of its $200,000 goal.  

She said she was walking toward her husband and son in a nearby park to reunite when she saw a man run up behind them and start shooting.

‘I don’t know if he was shooting at everybody because so many people got shot all over in the area. There were like seven people on the ground,’ she said.

Suspect, Amari Pollard, 19, (pictured) was arraigned Wednesday morning on two counts of second-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty 

Jackson (right) had just received his diploma when he was shot 

‘He was so happy – oh my God – because he got to graduate. He worked hard,’ his mother said

Jackson pictured as a small child at an unknown time 

Edwards said ‘hundreds’ were standing in Monroe Park when Pollard allegedly started shooting. 

‘It was very chaotic at the scene,’ he said at a press conference. ‘As they heard the gunfire, it was obviously chaos.’ 

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Dozens of shots were fired, according to witnesses, and police recovered four guns from the scene, WRIC reported. 

All Richmond Public Schools closed on Wednesday as Superintendent Jason Kamras said he didn’t ‘have anymore words on this.’ 

‘I’m just tired of seeing people get shot, our kids get shot. And I beg of the entire community to stop, to just stop,’ he said. 

He described Shawn as ‘bubbly and the life of the party.’ 

‘Getting to the graduation stage was not easy. Nevertheless he did it. And he was rightly proud and smiling and celebrating like all of his peers. And then just a few minutes later, while enjoying the moment with his family in Monroe Park, he was gunned down,’ he said. 

‘I still can’t shake the image of Shawn receiving CPR on the ground still in his graduation gown.’  

Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears blamed the violence on gangs and asked when ‘enough is enough.’ 

Pollard is expected to return to court on June 21 at 9am. He has pleaded not guilty. 

Smith’s nine-year-old daughter was also injured after being hit by a car in the chaos (pictured: Smith) 

Smith pictured with his wife Tameeka Jackson-Smith , he was killed in a shooting at a Virginia graduation Tuesday

Witnesses also recounted their experiences.

Speaking with NBC12, Jason Alexander said he was only 10 feet away from the crossfire when hundreds of people began to scramble for cover.

‘We’re in the process of waiting for my son to come out,’ said Alexander.

‘Behind us, probably we’re like 10 feet to the back of us. We heard fireworks going off.’

Earlier reports and a video from the scene indicated that the gunman fired about 20 shots.

Alexander said he’d heard less as he maneuvered the chaotic scene in front of him.

‘Everybody started running, and I pushed her down on the ground, and we got down on the ground, and it was just chaos from there,’ he said.

‘You just kept hearing shots. It was just eight, nine, ten shots.’

Alexander’s sister, Robin Spencer, gave an emotional account, wiping tears from her face as she spoke of her disbelief to the broadcaster.

‘Who the hell would do this on these kids’ graduation?’ said Spencer. ‘There’s tons of kids. People are walking around with babies.’