It hasn’t been 48 hours since the horrific incident in which three UVA football players were brutally murdered, but Virginia football head coach Tony Martin and his team are trying to come to terms with the tragedy. Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry, and Devin Chandler were killed on Sunday night and two other UVA football players remain in hospital. In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Elliott spoke about how this has been a nightmare and how the team is trying to celebrate the lives of the Davis, Perry, and Chandler.
Five players shot, three fatally wounded
On Monday night, the University of Virginia hosted a silent vigil for their fallen students. Three young lives cut short through yet another episode of gun violence in the United States. The community was trying to be strong, but the air of pain could almost be felt through the screen.
Very powerful scene @uva tonight. Thousands on the south lawn. A vigil to those dead and injured in a mass shooting here. The jersey numbers of the dead football players posted throughout campus. 1, 15 and 41. pic.twitter.com/5SK40SHsIl
— Miguel Marquez (@miguelmarquez) November 15, 2022
Three UVA football players were gunned down on Sunday night by a former football player. Christopher Darnell Jones allegedly shot wide receivers Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler, and linebacker D’Sean Perry who succumbed to their injuries. Running back Mike Hollins was operated on yesterday and his father says he is in good condition. Another unnamed member of the football team is still in critical condition.
Jones apparently fired multiple rounds as a bus full of students that he was on, returned from a play in Washington.
Nightmare for Elliott
“It feels like it’s a nightmare,” Elliott said in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “And I’m ready for somebody to pinch me and wake me up and say that this didn’t happen. It’s been a long, I don’t even know how long it’s been since it happened. The minutes can’t go by fast enough.”
“My heart’s hurting right now for our university, our community, the team, the players, the families, the young men whose families have been impacted the most. That’s where my thoughts are at this time, trying to provide all the resources and support that I possibly can. I have to acknowledge the strength of our players and the staff at this time in coming together to work to process what has taken place.”
Celebrating the lives of Davis, Chandler, and Perry
Elliott then added that the team had now started to try and celebrate the lives of Davis, Chandler, and Perry.
“The approach with the team is when we were given the clear to communicate,” Elliott said. “We immediately got the team together and just started the process of grieving together.
“[Tuesday] was much better. We were able to transition from the pain to finding a little bit of joy in celebrating the lives of Lavel, D’Sean and Devin. Today probably started how the last two days have started, but it ended a lot better. I think the guys are on the road to healing but it’s going to take some time and our approach is to keep them together as much as we possibly can, to make sure we have eyes on them because nothing can prepare you for this situation, and we just want to be there to support the guys.”
"The message is we're going to celebrate their lives going forward and the impact they've made thus far." – Coach Tony Elliott pic.twitter.com/qRIX3wJu0r
— Virginia Cavaliers (@VirginiaSports) November 15, 2022
There is still no word on if the Virginia game versus Coastal Carolina will go ahead. Tony Elliott says he is just taking it one day at a time. However, Virginia have said they will make a decision ‘soon’.
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