A rapper called Marcelle launched Thursday night’s memorial concert for three University of Virginia football players, shot and killed three years ago.
Thursday, campus bells chimed at 1:55, followed by a procession from UVA’s chapel to a memorial tree planted nearby. A candlelight vigil is set for Thursday night at 6 on The Lawn.
Acapella groups like the AcHoostics, the Academical Village People and the Harmonious Hoos joined three community choirs in a musical remembrance of student athletes Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry and Lavel Davis Jr.
The university says it has made a number of changes since the tragic shooting, creating an office of threat assessment, and making it easier to remove students from grounds if they might pose a danger to others. UVA produced a six-minute training video on the threat assessment process, hosted training on Virginia’s red flag laws, conducts weekly meetings to review and triage new cases, set up a website to inform students during a shelter-in-place order and connects all students, faculty and staff through a safety and security app.
The school has also supported legislation making possession of a firearm on a college campus a criminal violation.
The student accused of the attack pleaded guilty and is set to be sentenced Monday morning.
