UVA awards posthumous degrees to football players killed in shooting
UVA community honors slain football players
Gospel music and the sound of choirs helped move an emotion memorial inside the John Paul Jones Arena for Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D'Sean Perry, the three football players who were shot and killed by an alleged gunman after a school field trip last weekend.
The University of Virginia is awarding undergraduate degrees to the three students killed on campus during the Nov. 13 shooting.
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Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry all studied in the College of Arts and Sciences, studying African American and African studies, American studies and studio art.
At Davis Jr.’s funeral in North Charleston, SC, Athletics Director Carla Williams said earning his degree from the University of Virginia was so important to Lavel and he worked extremely hard for it.
The three football players were killed by ex-player Christopher Jones Jr. on a charter bus when they arrived back to school from a class trip to Washington, D.C. The boys did not play on the team at the same time.
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While Jones Jr.’s motive remains unclear, survivors recount that he yelled "you guys are always messing with me" before initiating his killing spree.
The school held a memorial service for the victims on Nov. 19 attended by over 9,000 members of the UVA community.