A student walked up to get his high school diploma. Then a stranger rushed the stage to attack him.
A 20-year-old man faces charges after a massive fight broke out during a Richmond graduation ceremony, sending families running and bringing in 50 police officers.
High school graduation is supposed to be the proudest day of a young person's life.
Instead, families at a Virginia ceremony watched their children's big moment turn into a violent, chaotic brawl.
WHAT HAPPENED
On Wednesday morning, students from John Marshall High School gathered at the Siegel Center to graduate.
Just before 11 a.m., a student walked across the stage to get his diploma. That is when 20-year-old Evan J. Williams Jr. ran onto the stage and attacked the student.
A 12-second video of the fight spread fast on social media. It shows family members screaming as people jump into the fight.
Four college police officers rushed the stage to break it up, but more fights broke out outside the building.
More than 50 police officers from Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University came to stop the fights.
Police arrested Williams and held three other people. No one was hurt, and police found no weapons.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS
1* student attacked while walking to get his diploma.
- 12 seconds of video capturing the fight on the graduation stage.
- 50 or more police officers called to restore peace at the venue.
- 2 charges filed against 20-year-old Evan J. Williams Jr.
- 3 other people stopped and held by police during the chaos.
THE BIGGER QUESTION
Why has community anger become so hot that it spills into a high school graduation?
School is supposed to be a safe place, and graduation is a hard-earned reward.
When people cannot set aside their fights for even one hour to celebrate kids, it shows a deep break in our social trust.
We have to ask ourselves how we can fix these fights before they ruin the lives of our young people.
If we cannot protect a graduation stage, what space is safe?
THE OTHER SIDE
Police have not yet released a statement from Williams or his lawyer. He faces charges of disorderly conduct and damage to property.
Since Williams has not yet given his side of the story in court, we do not know what he claims led to the fight.
But the video showing him running onto the stage makes a simple self-defense argument hard to prove.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW
The school head, Jason Kamras, told families to leave their fights at home.
Police are watching local areas closely to make sure no one tries to get revenge.
For the graduates, a day they worked 12 years for is now stained by violence.
Future graduations in the city will likely have much tighter security, making the events feel more like a jail than a celebration.
WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW
- Did the attacker and the student know each other before the graduation?
- Will the three other people who were stopped face criminal charges?
- What extra steps will the school district take to keep future graduations safe?