On Nov. 13, students from the University of Virginia rode a charter bus back from a field trip to see a play in Washington D.C. As they arrived back on campus, students talked about the play they just watched and bonded with their classmates. Then, tragedy struck as a gunman entered the bus. The shooting began at 10:15 pm, and the attack left three students dead, two injured and an entire community shocked.

After 12 hours of sheltering in place, UVA students – who were first notified of the attack with the words “RUN, HIDE, FIGHT” – were left in the wake of the most recent tragedy of gun violence in the United States.

Three young men, all members of the Cavaliers’ football team, were murdered on Sunday night. The Old Gold & Black would like to use this space to remember them and to offer our sincere condolences to the friends and families grieving victims of this senseless act and to those grieving victims of gun violence across the nation. Our hearts are with you.

Devin Chandler was a junior from Huntersville, North Carolina and a transfer student from the University of Wisconsin. He played as a wide receiver and kick returner for the Cavaliers, a player the team could “always count on”. Chandler’s high school football coach, Adam Sykes, said in a statement that Chandler was “one of the happiest young men I ever had the privilege of knowing.”  

D’Sean Perry, a junior from Miami, Florida, played linebacker. Friends told CNN that outside of football, Perry enjoyed cooking, anime and art. His friends also commented on his fierce loyalty. Virginia Head Coach Tony Eliott told CNN that Perry was a great teammate with a singular sense of humor. 

Lavel Davis was a junior from Dorchester, South Carolina, who played wide receiver for the Cavaliers. According to CNN, a May 2022 video shows Davis talking about his enjoyment of Shakespeare, 90s movies and the Bible. According to CNN, Eliott remembers Davis as a gentle giant who always “lit up the room”.

These three souls were taken from us too soon. May all three of them rest in peace, and may their memories be a blessing to those who knew and loved them.

Correction Nov. 17: An earlier version of this editorial contained a mis-phrasing of our condolences. That error has been fixed.