Photo Courtesy of Harry A Dunn / Twitter
Verified GoFundMe campaigns have been created in honor of the three slain University of Virginia (UVA) football players.
Heather Mitchell, a family friend of Lavel Davis Jr., created the online fundraiser on his father, Fallom’s, behalf. The funds will go toward funeral expenses.
“Tyler was a star both on and off the field. He played his heart out for UVA and wanted to be the best, and he was,” Mitchell wrote. “He loved his parents, his family, his community, and he had a love for football like no other. He worked hard coming back from two injuries to be one of the best college football players in the country. He was a rising star (both on and off the field), and the world was seeing what we all had known for a long time, that he was a talented one of a kind kid.”
According to 19-year-old neuroscience major Ryan Lynch who was on the bus, Davis Jr. was recovering from a concussion and expressed his excitement about returning to the field once he fully recovered.
The fundraising goal for Davis Jr. is $150,000, with a little over $118,000 raised.
D’Sean Perry’s GoFundMe was created on Tuesday by his friend, Matteo Uccelli, with a $100,000 goal and raised over $69,000.
He was described as “the kindest soul and a positive impact” on those who knew him.
“His ability to put a smile on anyone’s face regardless of the situation made him truly special,” the campaign read. “He was a leader on and off the field who strived to be the best, encouraged everyone else to be their best, and excelled in the classroom. He was a man of faith who loved his friends, family, community, and football deeply. An avid lover of art and music whose artistic ability was unmatched. D’Sean was an integral part of the University of Virginia football program and worked harder and harder every day. Earning his role on the team was a super important moment in his life.”
Devin Chandler’s fundraiser was started by his mother’s friend and former coworker, Shelly Crais. The campaign’s goal is $75,000, and it raised over $66,000. His service will be held on Dec. 15.
Monday night, students gathered for a candlelight vigil to honor their classmates.
News Onyx reported that the three UVA players—defensive end and linebacker D’Sean Perry, wide receiver Lavel Davis Jr., and wide receiver Devin Chandler—were on a charter bus with approximately 25 students. The bus had returned to campus from a class field trip to a play in Washington on Sunday.
The shooter, 22-year-old Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., was among a group of students who weren’t a part of the class that the trip was intended for but was invited to go by the professor. When the bus arrived at the parking garage next to the Culbreth Theater on campus, Jones began shooting when he was on and off the bus— Perry, Davis Jr., and Chandler were killed while two others were injured.