RICHMOND, Va. -- On the afternoon of Tuesday, June 6, 2023, it was a joyous occasion inside the Altria Theater in downtown Richmond, where Huguenot High School seniors were set to receive their diplomas.
Moments later, happiness, devolved into chaos.
June 6, 5:13 p.m.
Gunfire erupted outside the building, and hundreds of people began to run for their lives.
Officers on site called a mayday and nearby VCU alerted students to stay inside and avoid the Monroe Park area.
When the dust settled, 18-year-old graduate Shawn Jackson and his stepfather Renzo Smith were dead, and five others were injured.
Four guns were later recovered from the scene of the shooting.
At 5:16 p.m., the suspect, Amari Pollard was taken into custody in a nearby parking garage.
Later that night, there were cries of anguish from Richmond leaders.
"Is nothing sacred any longer?," Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney asked. "Is nothing sacred any longer?"
"Our kids can’t take it, our teachers can’t take it, our families can’t take it anymore, I beg of you to stop," RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras said.
June 7
Amari Pollard is charged with two counts of second-degree murder. Detectives say the bloodshed was a result of an ongoing feud between Pollard and Jackson.
June 11
A grieving mother and widow appeared at a Sunday afternoon vigil. "I just really don't know what to say, because I lost my baby and my husband," said Tameeka Jackson-Smith, the wife of Renzo Smith, and mother of Shawn Jackson.
At that same vigil, the Richmond Police Chief, Rick Edwards, warned against retribution. "Revenge isn't the answer. If any of you are thinking of retaliating, please don't. Let us handle it. We're on this case."
June 12
CBS 6 reports that Jackson had been a homebound student, meaning he attended classes virtually. We later learned that this was due to a threat of "neighborhood violence."
Around the same time, some Richmond School Board members began asking if Jackson should have been allowed to attend the graduation ceremony in the first place.
June 20
At the next board meeting after the shooting, tensions boil over.
"I’m not willing to make a hasty decision," board member Dawn Page said. "We must make a hasty decision, we have had a student die," board member Kenya Gibson replied. "And we are going to sit on the stage and say I’m not ready to make a hasty decision."
July 26
The grand jury votes to indict Pollard for first-degree murder in the death of Jackson. Two days later, the previous charge involving Smith's death is dismissed.
October 2
The Richmond School Board announces that they have chosen high-powered law firm, Sands Anderson, to conduct a special investigation separate from that of the Richmond Police Department.
November 6
A report from Sands-Anderson is delivered to the superintendent and school board behind closed doors. Two weeks later, a majority of the board voted to keep it from the public.
"And as soon as you start saying, no, you can’t see any of it, suspicions are going to be raised," FOIA expert Megan Rhyne said.
December 18
CBS 6 submits a court filing, partnering with the Richmond Times-Dispatch, in asking a judge to compel Richmond Public Schools to disclose the findings.
January 12, 2024
CBS 6 pleads our case in court, and four days later, the judge rules in our favor.
January 17: The 32-page report is released.
The partially scathing probe found that Jackson was allowed to attend the ceremony without proper vetting or consideration of the safety and security concerns associated with his attendance.
"Our first and foremost responsibility has always above all else has got to be to protect our students and our teachers, this report demonstrates we did not do that," school board member Jonathan Young said.
February 26: Trial begins.
The courtroom at the John Marshall Courts Building was so packed that an overflow room has to be used for curious observers.
February 29: Judge delivers a ruling.
After days of testimony, the judge ruled that the jury should not consider Pollard's self-defense argument, a crushing blow to the accused.
Hours later, the defense throws in the towel, and Pollard pleads guilty to first-degree murder.
He is sentenced to spend the next quarter-century behind bars.
"The fact that the defendant had so little regard for completely innocent bystanders and children and women, that he brought a weapon and used it in the midst of that crowd is really what I want people to take away from this," Commonwealth's Attorney Colette McEachin said.
February 29 marked the end of the criminal chapter of this story, or so we thought.
April 9
Amari Pollard's lawyer files a motion asking that his client be allowed to withdraw his plea andbe granted a new trial.
Attorney Jason Anthony claimed there was a "miscarriage of justice" and that he himself did not offer Pollard proper legal advice after the judge's self-defense ruling.
May 17
Anthony's motion is denied. The judge rejects the defense's arguments, saying that he has learned nothing that leads him to believe that Amari Pollard is an innocent man.
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