Recent Tragedy at the University of Virginia
To: W&L Students, Faculty and Staff
From: Sidney Evans, Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students and Emergency Response Coordinator
Date: November 14, 2022
As many of you know, a tragic shooting at the University of Virginia last night left three people dead and two wounded. The suspect remains at large. Our hearts are with the victims and their families, as well as the students, faculty and staff of the university, some of whom we know personally.
Campus religious leaders have organized a gathering for prayers and reflections from 12:45 – 2:00 p.m. today in the Office of Inclusion and Engagement (Elrod Commons 216). There will be a community candlelight vigil for the victims at 5:30 p.m. this evening in the Cohen Family Amphitheater between Leyburn Library and Elrod Commons. All students, faculty and staff are invited to attend these events.
It is understandable that an event such as this would cause concern within our campus community, so I write this morning to remind you of our campus safety procedures and to make you aware of the resources available to our students, faculty and staff.
While our campus prepares and practices for challenging crises, safety is something that each of us should take seriously. Be vigilant and responsive to actual or threatened emergency situations. If you see something, say something. Use the LiveSafe app's Emergency Options feature to call 911 or message Public Safety, or dial 458-8999 (x8999 from on campus) to reach Public Safety at any time. Public Safety maintains close communication with W&L departments focused on threat assessment/monitoring as well as with the Lexington Police Department (LPD) and regional and national law enforcement agencies.
In the event of an emergency on campus, we will send notifications via our General Alerts system to student and employee mobile devices, the LiveSafe app, email, the university website, digital signage on campus and official social media channels. All students are added to the General Alerts system at matriculation, and employees are strongly encouraged to provide a mobile number to receive these alerts. If you wish to update your information, please visit our website.
We also encourage all W&L students, faculty and staff to familiarize themselves with the guidance in Section I ("What You Should Do in an Emergency and How to Prepare") outlined in the Emergency Management Plan on our website.
Finally, we want to make you aware of support resources available to students and employees. University Counseling is available to support students via in-person appointments and Let's Talk sessions around campus. Students may also take advantage of My SSP (My Student Support Program), a confidential online counseling service offering access to professional counselors via text, phone or video, 24/7. Class deans are also a valuable resource for students needing support. For employees, counseling services are available through the Carilion EAP.
In the coming days, our thoughts will remain with the UVa community as they mourn those lost in last night's events.