Parents, community members demand change following Monroe Park mass shooting

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Cries to end gun violence continue to echo through the city, as groups gathered Wednesday afternoon from City Hall to Capitol Square to demand action after an 18-year-old Huguenot High School graduate and his stepfather were killed moments after a graduation ceremony at Altria Theater.

“We cannot allow our young people to continue to get shot down in the streets of Richmond,” said Triumph Church of Richmond Pastor Ta’Quan Grant, who spoke at a gathering at City Hall.

A day after the shooting, members of the community are describing the scary moment when the shots rang out.

“To hear the screams and the cries, I was on the phone with one of my friends, and she was running, she was scared, she didn’t know where her family was,” said Crystal, a mother of a George Wythe High School senior.

Crystal’s daughter showed up at the gathering in her cap and gown to show support for her fellow seniors.

“They just need to put the guns down because ya’ll killin’ innocent people and taking them away from their family,” she said.

Other community members who gathered at City Hall expressed their anger.

“This is ridiculous, man, I’m tired of this killing, I’m tired of this black-on-black crime,” said Clay.

Grant prayed about the rise in violence and the need for more mental health resources.

“There are better ways to handle situations in our communities than picking up a gun. We need more counseling in our communities; we need more resources for the black community,” Pastor Grant said.

A few blocks over, parents of RPS students held signs at Capitol Square with the same message: protecting children so they can create a better future for our city.

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