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Three University of Virginia footballers, including linebacker D'Sean Perry, were killed on Sunday, November 13, 2022, in a campus shooting.
Perry, along with his Virginia Cavaliers wide receivers Lavel Davis Jr. and Devin Chandler, were among those who were gunned down, according to University President Jim Ryan. Ryan further stated that the incident happened around 10:40 pm on a bus that had students returning from a field trip to Washington D.C.
At the time of his death, D'Sean Perry, a 22-year-old Miami native, was in his junior year at the university. Over the last three years, Perry has played a total of 15 games for the Cavaliers. In 2018, he was named the South Florida Conference’s 2018 Defensive Player of the Year.
He is survived by his parents, Sean and Happy Perry.
About University of Virginia student D'Sean Perry and his two teammates who were killed in the shooting
D'Sean Perry's (Jersey No. 41) commitment to his team was well-known and appreciated by his teammates and peers. In September 2022, he was asked to move positions from linebacker to defensive, a change which he adjusted admirably to.
He played six games this season and scored two tackles in Saturday's game for UVA against Pittsburgh, which resulted in UVA losing 37-7.
His parents flew in from South Florida but wished not to speak publicly out of respect for the University of Virginia community. Their attorney Michael Haggard stated:
“On behalf of D’Sean’s parents, Happy and Sean Perry, and their entire family, we thank the South Florida and Charlottesville communities for the outpouring of support during this impossibly tragic time."
Devin (Jersey No.15) was a third-year student from North Carolina who transferred from the University of Wisconsin last winter. He was yet to make his Cavaliers debut.
Davis (Jersey No. 1) was a third-year receiver from South Carolina. He made 16 catches for 371 yards and two touchdowns in eight games this season after a knee injury that caused him to miss the 2021 season.
In an Instagram post by @uvafootnall, head football coach Tony Elliott mourned the loss of the three young footballers and stated:
“These were incredible young men with huge aspirations and extremely bright futures.”
The University of Virginia held a vigil to remember the three players.
“This is an unimaginably sad day for our community”: University of Virginia mourns while police take prompt action
In addition to the three fatalities, two others are being treated for injuries, with one in critical condition, as per a statement by University of Virginia president Jim Ryan.
The university suspended all classes on Monday and Tuesday along with Monday's basketball game between Virginia and the visiting Northern Iowa. The school was also warned to stay under a "shelter-in-place" for about 12 hours.
In a statement, president Ryan said:
"This is a message any leader hopes never to have to send, and I am devastated that this violence has visited the University of Virginia. This is a traumatic incident for everyone in our community..."
Ryan, along with campus police, identified the gunman as Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. Christopher is currently in custody. According to campus police chief Tim Longo, he is charged with "three counts of second-degree murder and using a handgun in the alleged commission of a felony."
Christopher is a former University of Virginia footballer, marked as a freshman in 2018. Incidentally, the school's Office of Student Affairs was informed that Jones was being investigated by a threat assessment team on campus in September when he discussed having a gun.
According to Longo, the campus police were also aware of Jones as he was being investigated in an alleged hazing incident, but the case was dropped when the witnesses didn't cooperate. Last year, he was involved in an incident carrying a concealed weapon outside Charlottesville.
Charlottesville has experienced several gun-related crimes since the start of 2022, and a total of 5 teenagers have been killed since September 22. Additionally, two others were killed in October in separate shootings.
