Two people were killed and five injured in a shooting during a high school graduation ceremony in Virginia, eastern United States, on Tuesday, police said.
The shooting erupted around 5 p.m. (2100 GMT) outside a theater in Virginia’s capital, Richmond, where students from a local high school were attending the traditional graduation ceremony, Metropolitan Police Chief Rick Edwards told reporters.
An 18-year-old high school student and a 36-year-old man were killed and five others injured, one of whom is in critical condition, he added.
The alleged perpetrator, a 19-year-old, fled but was arrested shortly afterwards and faces charges of murder, Mr Edwards added.
The police officer did not identify the motive for the shooting but said the suspect knew at least one of the victims. Several handguns were found at the scene.
In 2021, more than 49,000 people died from gunfire (up from 45,000 in 2020) in the United States, where there are more guns than people.