NFL
By: Zachary Draves
The sports world is still reeling from the unthinkable tragedy at the University of Virginia after three football players Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D’Sean Perrwere were shot and killed after returning to campus from a play as part of a field trip to Washington DC on Sunday night. According to reports, the suspect Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a former UVA football player, was on the bus and once the group returned to campus, opened fire killing the three players and injuring two others. On Monday, after an intense manhunt he was taken into custody in Charlottesville.
(Courtesy:AP Photo/Mike Kropf)
Jones is now charged with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony.
The motives behind the crime are still being pondered. According to UVA Police Chief Tim Longo, Jones, 22, was put under a threat assessment in September after someone made a complaint about Jones making a statement about possessing a gun. The Office of the Dean of Students reached out to that person as well as Jones’ roommate and both of them said that they had not seen Jones with any weapon.
It is now known that Jones was charged with misdemeanor weapons offenses in February 2021. The University admitted to knowing of Jones’ background but didn’t start an official disciplinary process. Jones was also the subject of a hazing investigation that was eventually dropped after witnesses didn’t come forward.
It still remains unclear why this happened and more details will certainly emerge in the days ahead. But at least it is evident that the University was apparently woefully inadequate in addressing Jones’ background and the question begs whether if they acted in a timely matter, could this have been stopped?
At this point, all signs point towards yes.
Meanwhile, vigils, tributes, and well wishes are pouring in for these three young men whose lives full of promise was taken away prematurely. Yet again more names added to the endless list of casualties that have fallen victim to the uniquely American problem of gun violence.
(Courtesy:Win McNamee/Getty Images)
At time of increased debate and attention surrounding gun violence, it feels as though we are still caught in a vicious cycle. A senseless act of violence, thoughts and prayers, back to business as usual. It seems as if we continue to repeat ourselves and in the process innocent lives are lost.
One would have thought that after the massacre in Uvalde, Texas in May in which nineteen elementary school students were slaughtered that something transformative would have been done. The same thoughts were felt after Sandy Hook, Parkland, Tree of Life Synagogue, Buffalo, Orlando and the list goes on and on.
While the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that was signed into law by President Joe Biden in June did make some inroads when it came to background checks for purchases under the age of 21, closing the boyfriend loophole, and strengthening state red flag laws, it came up short when it comes to an assault weapons ban and raising the minimum age to 21 to purchase a firearm.
If there is any good that could come out of what happened at UVA it is that the intensity to tackle gun violence can only be strengthened and done so by the world of sports.
Sports is a microcosm of society. So therefore sports are very much interconnected with the real world and doesn’t exist in some existential utopia that some may perceive it to be. Athletes carry much more social, cultural, and political cache than politicians do because of their obvious visibility and influence. They can and have throughout time shaped hearts, minds, and attitudes to move society forward.
In recent years, athletes and coaches have taken part in the movement to stop gun violence.
Most notably Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr, who lost his father to gun violence in 1984. He has worked with groups such as The Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence, and March for Our Lives to push for federal and state legislation. During the last NBA Finals, both the Warriors and Boston Celtics took to the court wearing orange t-shirts that read “End Gun Violence” after Uvalde.
Washington Mystics guard Natasha Cloud has become one of the most vocal advocates in the WNBA. In addition to wearing an orange shirt before games she even dedicated press conferences to speaking solely about gun violence.
In 2019, Everytown for Gun Safety established an Athletic Council that includes former NBA player Joakim Noah, WNBA player Devereaux Peters, NFL player Xavier Rhodes, NFL player Delanie Walker, and NFL player DeAndre Washington. Their mission is to raise awareness and promote education around gun violence in sports and beyond.
Imagine what can happen if the sports world was able to maximize these resources and became even more active in the fight to end gun violence. There could potentially be a sea change and the cycle could be broken.
(Courtesy: Ross Dellenger/Sports Illustrated)
Wishful thinking maybe considering the current state of affairs, but it is never wrong to be hopeful.
The infrastructure has been built it just needs an upgrade.
Rest in Peace Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D’Sean Perrwere.
