UVA students and faculty share messages of hope and love

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - University of Virginia’s South Lawn filled with students and faculty Monday, November 13.

A banner was placed on Grounds for people to sign and share their messages of hope and love in honor of the three young men who died in the shooting at UVA one year ago.

“I will never forget what happened last year... and the sound. I was right across the street from where it happened. The sounds of gunfire will never be not etched in my brain,” Third-year UVA student Em Gunter said, “A year later, you still see a community that’s deeply hurt and broken.”

Fereshta Islamzada is a third-year UVA student who knew all three players who lost their lives.

“I basically just told them how much I miss them. And that I think about them every day and all the time. They just meant a lot to me. I just told them to look down on me and please keep me in their minds while they’re in heaven,” Islamzada said.

Islamzada created shirts to raise around $15,000 for the families of the football players.

“We’re all here together. We have all been through a lot. It’s the fact that we all have been able to persevere and just overcome anything together in this UVA community,” fourth-year student Unoma Aguolu said.

Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here.

Copyright 2023 WVIR. All rights reserved.