'Forever in our hearts': UVA marks anniversary of shooting

Field Level Media|published: Mon 13th November, 11:30 2023

Sep 2, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Detail view of helmet stickers on the helmet of Virginia Cavaliers running back Mike Hollins (7) during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Nissan Stadium. credits: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The University of Virginia marked the one-year anniversary Monday of the shooting deaths of three football players.

Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry were killed on the Charlottesville, Va., campus on Nov. 13, 2022.

"It may be the one-year anniversary for some people, but it's just like yesterday for a lot of us," athletic director Carla Williams said, per ESPN.

The three players were returning to school from a field trip to Washington, D.C., when they were shot and killed on a bus. Running back Mike Hollins was wounded in the attack but returned to lead the Cavaliers with seven rushing touchdowns so far this season.

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a former walk-on at Virginia, is facing three counts of second-degree murder. Marlee Morgan, a UVA student, was also wounded in the shooting.

The school opened the north gate at Scott Stadium on Monday to allow the public to visit the memorial plaques for Chandler, Davis and Perry between noon and 5 p.m. ET. The UVA chapel will also chime bells in their honor. Other events are planned across the campus.

"There's so many different visuals around here that spark thoughts about Lavel, Devin and D'Sean," football coach Tony Elliott said, per ESPN. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't have feelings about them. On this day, I want it to be a true remembrance of the legacies of those young men."

Virginia, which canceled the rest of the 2022 season following the tragedy, has two games remaining this season. The Cavaliers (2-8, 1-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) host Duke on Saturday and Virginia Tech on Nov. 25.

—Field Level Media

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