The University of Virginia will pay $9 million to the families of the victims as part of a settlement following an investigation into the university’s response to the 2022 mass shooting. However, the families feel they deserve more than just financial compensation, and their lawyer stated this is only the beginning of a longer journey for justice.
As the Associated Press reports, the families are requesting the immediate release of the independent probe, which was delayed due to fears that it would have interfered with the criminal trial of Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a former member of the university’s football team who shot and killed three football players and wounded two other students.
Kimberly Wald, an attorney representing some of the families, told the AP that the settlement is an indication that more work needs to be done. “This settlement today is only one small step for these families — there is much to be done. If there is one lesson, even one lesson that we can learn from that report, we need to know it now…We need to protect lives now.”
According to Wald, UVA’s agreement will pay out $2 million to the families of Devin Chamber, Lavel Davis Jr, and
D’Sean Perry, the maximum settlement allowable under Virginia State law. According to the university, the agreement was authorized by Virginia’s Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.UVA Rector Robert Hardie and its President, Jim Ryan, said in a joint statement that the slain players had a positive impact on the university community. “We will forever remember the impact that Devin, Lavel, and D’Sean had on our community, and we are grateful for the moments they spent in our presence uplifting UVA through their time in the classroom and on the football field.”
Meanwhile, Happy Perry, the mother of
D’Sean Perry, told reporters that the probe’s report should be released if it will keep similar tragedies from occurring. “As a mom, I want to know what happened. It is my right to know what happened. At this point, it is an issue of public safety and national security that we get that report.”As WAFE reports, Brenda Hollins, the mother of Mike Hollins, one of the wounded students, said in a press conference that she needs to see greater transparency from the university. “You see how easily it can happen and how quickly something like this can happen. They were on a bus going on a school trip to see a play. It was so easy for this to happen and for the small things to fall through the cracks. They’re overlooked. We have to do something.”
Wald agreed with Hollins’ concerns, saying, “We have to know what happened here, why it happened, and really be able to use that information to implement change.”
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