Local college football programs send condolences to victims in University of Virginia shooting

EVANSTON, Ill. — Several college football programs are mourning the loss of three University of Virginia football players killed in a campus shooting.

The University of Virginia had three football players killed in a shooting on Sunday evening — Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D’Sean Perry.

The suspect in the shooting, who allegedly wounded two others, is 22-year-old Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a former Cavaliers football player.

He was taken into custody on Monday morning.

Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald opened up his news conference on Monday ahead of the Wildcats’ game with Purdue this Saturday by sending his condolences to the Virginia program.

“I want to lift up our thoughts and prayers to all of those families that have been affected, Coach (Tony) Elliott, and obviously the program,” said Fitzgerald. “There’s obviously a very small fraternity and sorority that are in college football and a lot of people we get to know in recruiting. It’s devastating to hear that news, so our hearts are broken for everybody impacted by that and our thoughts and prayers are with them.”

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman did the same at his news conference Monday in South Bend ahead of the Irish’s home finale against Boston College.

“I want to open up today by just sending our prayers out to the University of Virginia and all those victims that were touched by the tragedy that unfolded last night,” said Freeman. “I especially want to send thoughts out to Coach Elliott and the football program. I can’t fathom what they’re going through right now and it’s a painful reminder of how fragile life is and how important it is always tell those people you love them.”

A number of college football teams across the country posted their condolences on social media, including Illinois, who wrote on Twitter: “Our thoughts and condolences are with the UVA community.”

The Illini played the Cavaliers in Champaign on Sept. 10.