Members of the University community gathered Thursday afternoon and evening to honor the lives of Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler, marking the third anniversary of the Nov. 13, 2022 shooting that claimed their lives. The events encouraged reflection, unity and remembrance among students, faculty and families, reaffirming the community’s commitment to healing.
The three students of the University football team were shot and killed on a charter bus by a University student while returning to Grounds from a class field trip. The University remained under lockdown for 12 hours as the shooter was tracked down. Two additional student athletes — track and field athlete Marlee Morgan and football player Mike Hollins — were critically wounded but survived.
Events were organized by Student Council in partnership with the Public Engagement in Governance Looking, Listening and Learning Lab, with support from student volunteers, University staff and athletic teams. This year’s remembrance featured a memorial concert Wednesday and the University Chapel bell toll and vigil Thursday.
Attendees were invited to step outside wherever they were across Grounds to observe a moment of silence during the tolling of the University Chapel bells. At 1:55 p.m., the bells played the first verse of “Amazing Grace” before ringing the three final chimes, honoring Davis, Perry and Chandler.
Students, athletes and families gathered outside the Chapel as the bell rang. Members of the football team sat together in a moment of silence within the University Chapel, joined by students and University officials.
Immediately after the bell toll, attendees began a memorial march from the Chapel to the Betsy and John Casteen Arts Grounds, near where the shooting took place. Brian Williams, director of the Governance Lab and professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, led the march. Participants walked in silence, carrying carnations.
Upon reaching the memorial tree at Arts Grounds, participants gathered before beginning the remembrance ceremony. Former football player Vincent Croce read from a Bible passage — 1 Corinthians 15 — and offered a prayer, emphasizing themes of resurrection, endurance and hope.
“Father, we thank you, as hard as it is sometimes, especially [on] this day, to thank you … for the chance to have been impacted, to have known Devin, Lavel and D’Sean,” Croce said. “We thank you for your word that it’s true, that their story hasn’t ended, that they’ve been raised imperishable, glorious, powerful, spiritual.”
Nitya Varigala, research assistant with the Governance Lab and third-year Batten student, delivered remarks, emphasizing that remembrance is inseparable from community care. Students placed carnations beside the stone marker of the tree. According to Varigala, the dark red carnations represented deep love, pink symbolized gratitude and white signified purity and remembrance. She added that these meanings showed the impact of the victims on the University community and the life of love that they lived.
“Devin, D’Sean and Lavel will always be a part of us … May we follow the example of these three outstanding young men and live a life of love,” Varigala said. “Love has no beginning and it never ends. Love endures and lives forever. Love never fails.”
Attendees were then invited to sign a University community pledge against gun violence at Madison House, reaffirming the shared commitment to creating a safer, more compassionate environment on Grounds. The pledge — developed by the Governance Lab research assistants and students in LPPS 5335, “Wicked Problem of Gun Violence” and LPPS 3310, “Policy-Community Relations: Problems and Prospects”— calls for collective action to prevent gun violence and promote safety on Grounds.
The pledge urged those who signed to actively foster a safe environment by never bringing a gun into an academic learning environment and never using a gun to resolve interpersonal conflicts. It noted that individual choices and actions can save lives and create a more secure learning environment for all.
Students had another opportunity to reflect on the day at Thursday evening’s vigil. Friends, family and community members gathered on the South Lawn in silence at 6 p.m. to remember each victim.
Upon entering the grassy area, participants were first given the opportunity to sign a memorial banner, which was filled with heartfelt messages and had little white space left by 6 p.m. One by one, they were then handed small, battery-powered candles to place on the steps of Old Cabell Hall.
Reflection at the vigil looked different for everyone. While some showed up and left in 15 minutes or less, others sat for over an hour. And though tears streamed down faces, a sense of community was dominant — many participants embraced classmates and showed up in large groups to grieve as a community.
As the University marked three years since the Nov. 13 tragedy, Thursday’s memory served as a tribute and call for collective action. Through both yearly rituals and renewed commitments to safety, the day encouraged students to honor the lives of Davis, Perry and Chandler and commit to building a safer community on Grounds.
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