RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A Richmond School Board meeting scheduled for Monday night will decide who will lead the third-party investigation into the deadly Huguenot high school graduation shooting.
On June 6, 18-year-old graduating senior Shawn Jackson and his stepfather — 36-year-old Renzo Smith — were shot to death outside of the Altria Theater in Monroe Park following a Huguenot High School graduation ceremony.
The shooting received national attention in the weeks that followed.
Richmond Public Schools decided to launch its own internal investigation into the circumstances that led up to the shooting. That investigation identified six recommendations for substantial policy changes dealing with safety and response.
However, it was later decided that a separate third-party investigation would be necessary. Members of the Richmond School Board are now set to hear proposals from two groups — the Sands Anderson law firm and Michie Hamlett Attorneys at Law.
According to the proposal, whichever group will lead the investigation will “report all findings to the school board that include graduation day operations from set up, to break down, and to include process and procedures for entrance of all students and guests.”
Shortly after the shooting in June, 19-year-old Amari Ty-Jon Pollard was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Jackson and his stepfather. However, on July 28, the murder charge for Smith was dropped while the charge for Jackson’s death was upgraded to first-degree murder. He has also been charged with using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
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