RICHMOND — A 20-year-old man on trial in the fatal shooting of a new graduate outside last spring’s commencement ceremony for the city’s Huguenot High School abruptly changed his plea to guilty Thursday and was sentenced to 25 years behind bars.

Amari Ty-Jon Pollard changed his pleas during the fourth day of trial in the June 6 killing of Shawn Jackson, 18, outside the Altria Theater. Chief Judge Reilly Marchant in Richmond City Circuit Court sentenced Pollard to 40 years in prison and suspended 18 years. Marchant imposed an additional three years for felony firearm use.

“Trials take twists and turns,” Marchant told jurors after the trial was suddenly halted. “And this is just a difficult, difficult tragedy.”

As Pollard stood to leave the courtroom, family members sat behind him, wiping tears. “I love y’all,” Pollard said to them before departing. Jackson’s loved ones also sat in the courtroom, some holding their arms around one another.

Advertisement

Prosecutor Colette McEachin said on Thursday that June 6 was a day Richmond “will never forget.”

“The defendant’s callous and thoughtless actions at a graduation in a public theater and a public space is the sole reason he is serving 25 years,” she said. “It is his actions and his actions alone.”

The plea agreement came hours after Pollard testified that he went to the high school graduation to celebrate his cousin, but he soon became “as scared as I’ve ever been in my life.” Pollard fired at Jackson six times, leading Jackson’s stepfather, Renzo Smith, to pull out a gun and attempt to fire back. Smith, 39, also died in the shooting. Pollard was initially charged in his killing, but court records show that authorities dropped the count in July.

Pollard testified that in January 2023, Jackson texted Pollard to say he had once “spared” Pollard and advised him to keep his distance because “you know how I get.” That same day, Pollard testified that Jackson and a friend also warned him to not “get caught loafing,” or walking around unarmed.

Advertisement

On the day of the graduation, Pollard said, he grabbed his gun from his car after exiting the ceremony for safety. Smith, Jackson’s stepfather, also went to his vehicle and grabbed two guns, Tameeka Jackson-Smith, wife and mother of the victims, testified Tuesday. Two friends of Jackson’s at the ceremony also testified that they had grabbed guns before walking to the park across the street from the theater.

Videos showed Jackson hugging his family outside the theater before heading to Monroe Park across the street. After that, Pollard said, Jackson and his friends walked toward him and his cousin. Pollard said the group asked him, “You good?” At one point, Jackson, looking at Pollard, said: “I am going to crush that.”

“I felt like I was in a trap,” Pollard testified. “Like I was in a death trap.”

Advertisement

Pollard said he ran away from Jackson and the group, whom he believed were chasing him. Pollard said he shot Jackson, who was unarmed, after Jackson caught up to him and grabbed him. Jackson-Smith said she remembered her son running toward her — and away from Pollard — before he was gunned down.

“In the commotion, I see my son running,” she testified. “And I see him shoot my [son] in the back of the head twice. I saw my baby’s eyes roll into the back of his head.”

Officials have said four other people aside from Jackson and Smith got shot. Jason Anthony, Pollard’s attorney, has said they were not shot by Pollard.

After Pollard fatally shot Jackson, he ran into a nearby parking deck, authorities said. Denise Smith, a Virginia Commonwealth University safety ambassador, saw Pollard in the garage, his firearm dropping onto the ground. Body-camera video played in court showed Pollard at times attempting to pick it up.

“Put the gun down. Put the gun down,” Denise Smith yelled at Pollard.

Pollard came over to her and wrapped her in a hug, the video shows.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought they were going to kill me.”

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLGkecydZK%2BZX2d9c4COaWloamlkv6qvx6amp5xdoq6vec%2BlnJqco2K0trXLrbBmoKWcwqa6zq1koaGXnXq0r8eopqVll6eupcHAraCopl2otbC706KloGc%3D