RICHMOND, Va. -- State leaders shared some reactions to the deadly shooting that took place after Huguenot High School's graduation in downtown Richmond on Tuesday.
Governor Glenn Youngkin (R - Virginia) shared his thought via Twitter.
"My administration continues monitoring the terrible shooting in the heart of Richmond tonight. State law enforcement are fully supporting the Richmond Police Department as this investigation moves forward," he wrote after the shooting.
The governor wrote a second tweet as details about the shooting began to emerge.
"As we struggle to fully comprehend this tragedy, our hearts break for those whose lives were lost today. Tonight, we grieve together for their classmates, our neighbors, and the whole Richmond community," he wrote.
As we struggle to fully comprehend this tragedy, our hearts break for those whose lives were lost today. Tonight, we grieve together for their classmates, our neighbors, and the whole Richmond community.
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) June 7, 2023
Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears (R - Virginia) was out of town and drove to the shooting scene.
There she said gun violence in Richmond was not about law-abiding gun owners, but rather gangs.
"Even if you took all the guns off the street, from the law-abiding citizens, the others who mean harm, who mean to kill and mayhem, they're going to have the guns," she said. "So we have to figure out what's going on in our communities. We have to find the right problem, so that we can come to the right solution."
She said the criminal justice system needed to be tougher on those who commit crimes.
“The gun violence epidemic is a public health crisis that we must address,” U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, a Democrat whose district includes Richmond, said in a statement. “We cannot continue to live in fear. We must address the root causes of gun violence and pass common sense gun safety policies that protect our communities.”
Interim Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said he did not believe Tuesday's shooting was gang-related violence.
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PHOTOS: Deadly shooting after high school graduation in Richmond
After sending condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died in the shooting, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (D - Richmond) said via email that gun violence was a public health crisis that we must address.
"We cannot continue to live in fear. We must address the root causes of gun violence and pass common sense gun safety policies that protect our communities," she wrote. "I will continue to do everything in my power to advance policies that protect the safety and well-being of Virginians."
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