Accident – Death – Obituary News :

18-Year-Old Student Allowed to Attend Graduation Despite Safety Concerns

An 18-year-old student was tragically shot and killed last year after his high school graduation in Virginia. The incident has raised questions about the decision to allow the student, Shawn Jackson, to attend commencement ceremonies despite concerns for his safety. A report released by a law firm, at the request of Richmond Public Schools, has shed light on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Concerns for Safety Ignored

The report reveals that Jackson had been kept home for months due to safety fears. However, he was still permitted to attend his graduation ceremony. This decision violated regulations which prohibit homebound students from participating in school-sponsored activities without permission from a school principal or their designee.

Tragically, on the day of the graduation ceremony, Jackson and his stepfather, Lorenzo Smith, were shot and killed outside Richmond’s Altria Theater. The incident also left five individuals injured from gunfire and several others treated for anxiety due to the chaos that ensued.

Investigation Report Released

Richmond Public Schools has released a comprehensive 29-page report that delves into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The report includes thousands of supporting interview transcripts and documents. Initially, the school board had voted against making the report public, but a judge ordered its release.

The report highlights that Jackson’s mother had expressed concerns about her son’s safety. A week before the shooting, she emailed a counselor, asking if her son could skip the graduation rehearsal practices. The counselor responded by offering to include Jackson in the commencement ceremony without attending the required rehearsals, stating, “if you feel that it’s too dangerous.”

Furthermore, the report reveals that four months prior to the shooting, Jackson’s mother had complained about safety procedures when her son had to physically attend school to take a test. She expressed her distress, stating, “He was in the class with people who literally tried to kill him.”

Additionally, a year before the shooting, the mother had informed both the counselor and the school principal that they were still homeless due to their home being shot up by students from Huguenot High School.

Principal Responds to Report

The former principal, Robert Gilstrap, responded to the report, stating that it was unfair to blame him or the counselor for allowing Jackson to attend graduation. Gilstrap, who is now an assistant superintendent with the Virginia Department of Education, emphasized that the main goal during his tenure was to ensure students graduate. He claimed to be unaware of the fresh concerns expressed by Jackson’s mother regarding her son’s safety.

Furthermore, Gilstrap disputed the report’s claim that he was “checked out” as principal around the time of the graduation shooting, as he was actively seeking another job. He asserted that he was the longest-serving principal in Huguenot’s history.

In response to the report, Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras stated that the school system believes Gilstrap had delegated the authority to decide on Jackson’s participation in graduation ceremonies to the counselor. The school system has also updated its policies regarding who can authorize students to participate in graduation ceremonies.

The school system has released a written statement acknowledging the tragedy and the need to learn from it. They express their commitment to improving safety measures to protect students and staff.

This incident serves as a somber reminder of the importance of prioritizing student safety and implementing appropriate measures to prevent such tragic events from occurring in the future.

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