‘I was just waiting to take my last breath’: Huguenot High School graduation shooting victim takes legal action against City of Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- It's been almost a year and a half since the tragic shooting that took place after Huguenot High School's 2023 graduation ceremony claimed two lives. Several innocent bystanders were caught in the line of fire too. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, one of those victims -- Desmond Johnson -- publicly demanded the City of Richmond take accountability for its alleged role in what happened. FBI-compiled security footage captured the moment that shots rang out on that tragic day. 8News opted not to distribute graphic body camera footage that showed the victims fighting for their lives, so instead, our team is bringing readers insight about that moment directly from one of the people who lived it. Desmond Johnson spoke with the media Tuesday morning to share his story. He told our team that as soon as he heard shots ringing out, he dove to the ground to cover his third-grader. A bullet grazed Johnson's face and pierced his neck. The loving father said he spent months trying to relearn how to move, write and walk. However, the battle isn't over. He and his family are continuing their journey to recovery. The loving father explained how he nearly died that day trying to save his son's life. "I looked up and all I see is, 'Daddy, get up, daddy, get up,' and at the time, I couldn't move," Johnson recalled. "I lay there and it was just like I was just waiting to take my last breath." After months of recovery, Johnson is on the mend, but he's left with lifelong scars. "This whole right side ... I couldn't move," Johnson reflected. "My hand … I [could not] move my leg. I had to learn how to walk. I didn't know how to write all over again." These scars manifested in both physical and emotional forms. "It's traumatizing," Johnson discussed how hearing the sound of canons going off at football games or the sound effects in video games are too much for him to handle these days. These lasting impacts represent just part of the reason Johnson's legal team feels justice still needs to be served. Earlier this year, 20-year-old Amari Pollard pleaded guilty to the shooting death of one of the victims, Shawn Jackson. Pollard was also initially charged with the death of the second fatal shooting victim -- Jackson's step-father -- Lorenzo Smith. However, the Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney's Office dropped all charges related to Smith's death. "All I kept saying was, 'Lord, these shots sound so close.' Not knowing that the young man was getting shot right behind me," Johnson said. Multiple guns were found at the scene and investigators never determined who fired the bullets that hit Johnson and the other victims. 8News has previously reported that Shawn Jackson was part of Richmond Public Schools' "Homebound" program. This basically means he was not supposed to be at the graduation for safety reasons. During the course of Pollard's trial -- prior to accepting a last-minute plea agreement -- his defense team insisted Jackson and his friends threatened him. Multiple members of Jackson's party, including the deceased step-father, were found to have had weapons at the time of the shooting. One of Johnson's attorneys, Tameka Robinson, suggested the whole thing can be traced back to the City of Richmond employees who allowed an at-risk student at the event. "The City of Richmond is directly responsible for allowing this situation to unfold," Robinson asserted. "They failed to follow policy. They acted recklessly. They were grossly negligent." Johnson's team made it clear they are seeking damages from the entire City of Richmond, not just the school system. They said from a holistic standpoint the City is to blame. The team demanded the City reach a settlement to make things right. Otherwise, they said they'll have to take things to court and let a jury decide. This action comes amid a lengthy and tumultuous civil battle between Jackson's grieving loved ones and Richmond Public Schools. Meanwhile, Johnson and his son are fighting to get back to playing ball together the way they used to. Together, they're healing from the trauma and continuing to love and support one another. "Every day I text and tell him I love them, 'Make sure you have a good day,' just to try to keep his spirits up," Johnson said. "What we went through and, you know, I just try to love on him, I always love on my son, but now I just try to love on him even more." The City of Richmond has not yet responded to requests for comment. However, a spokesperson for Richmond Public Schools responded to 8News's inquiry and said that they have not yet received Johnson's demand package.