RICHMOND, Va. -- Amari Pollard pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony related to the Graduation Day shooting death of Huguenot High School graduate Shawn Jackson.
Pollard, 20, was sentenced to 43 years, with 25 years of active prison time for the murder which made national headlines in June 2023.
Pollard said, "I love y'all' to his family as he was taken from the courtroom.
WATCH: Commonwealth’s attorney 'happy and relieved' by plea deal in Richmond Graduation Day shooting
What Happened in Court?
The plea came hours after a Richmond judge ruled the jury, which was seated Monday, should not consider Pollard's action an act of self-defense.
This came after Pollard took the witness stand on Thursday and said he shot Jackson out of self-defense citing previous threats Jackson and his friends made before the June 6 graduation ceremony. However, each party agreed Pollard shot Jackson six times, and evidence from the Medical Examiner showed Jackson was shot from behind at least once.
The Commonwealth also maintained video evidence shown in court from the day of the shooting showed Pollard moving around Monroe Park to put himself in a position to shoot Jackson.
Both sides agreed Jackson was not armed at the time of the shooting.
"What really was important about this case was that this was a murder that happened at a public high school graduation, in the middle of the summer, in the middle of the afternoon, with hundreds of people around," Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Colette McEachin said.
WATCH: Why commonwealth’s attorney says Graduation Day shooting is ‘cautionary tale'
In exchange for his guilty plea, Pollard received a 43 year prison sentence, only 25 of which is active prison time.
"I want to thank the family for their strength in this eight-month ordeal," McEachin said in a statement following the plea. "I want to thank Richmond Police, especially Jeff Crewell for the thorough investigation that showed the defendant running around a group of people to get to the point that he could shoot Shawn Jackson six times. This has been a day that the city of Richmond and Richmond Public Schools and public spaces like the Altria Theater will never forget. The defendant's callous and thoughtless actions in a public graduation in a public space in the middle of the afternoon is now the reason that he is going to serve 25 years. It's his actions and his actions alone."
Richmond Public Schools released the following statement after the plea was announced:
"June 6 was intended to be a joyful day for Richmond graduates. Instead, it ended in a senseless tragedy that took two lives, and destroyed countless others. We continue to mourn the loss of Shawn Jackson and his step-father Lorenzo Smith, and pray that Mrs. Jackson-Smith finds some closure and peace with the conclusion of the trial. We encourage any students or staff retraumatized by the legal proceedings to seek support from a family member or friend, a trusted colleague, or a healthcare provider.
Far too many children in our community continue to be impacted by gun violence every day. We plead with all of Richmond to continue working, by any means necessary, to eliminate this devastating epidemic and its root causes. We owe that to Shawn, and to all the children and youth of this city."
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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