Virginia Attorney General Miyares finalizes external review of UVA shooting

Memorial flowers and notes line walkway at Scott Stadium after three football players were killed in a shooting on the grounds of the University of Virginia Tuesday Nov. 15, 2022, in Charlottesville. Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) (Steve Helber, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has announced the conclusion of an external review of the events that led up to the deadly UVA shooting that left three football players dead and two hurt on school grounds in Nov. 2022.

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The investigation was launched after UVA’s president, Jim Ryan, and University Rector Whitt Clement requested that Att. Gen. Miyares conducted an external review of the following:

  • The university’s response to the shooting
  • Efforts to assess the potential threat the shooter posed
  • University safety policies and procedures

According to the Attorney General’s Office, Quinn Urquhart and Sullivan, LLP was appointed as special counsel to review the events that led up to the tragedy. Former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Zachary Terwilliger, was also appointed to review federal, state, and local law enforcement issues surrounding the incident.

At the conclusion of the review, Miyares submitted a report to the University of Virginia.

“The deaths of Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry, and Lavel Davis Jr. are a tremendous tragedy and we continue to remember them, their families, and what they meant to the UVA community,” said Attorney General Miyares. “My office, thanks to the work of the special counsels, has procured a thorough report of last fall’s tragic events, and I am thankful for their deliberate efforts.”

A spokesperson for the university released the following statement on the conclusion of the review.

“Today, the Attorney General of Virginia provided the University of Virginia with a report of the external review of events related to the tragedy of Nov. 13, 2022. The report was prepared in response to UVA’s request on Nov. 17, 2022, for an independent review of the events surrounding the tragedy. Attorney General Jason Miyares selected the law firms of Quinn Emanuel, and Vinson and Elkins, who assembled a team of experts to conduct the review.

This is the first opportunity any University official or Board of Visitors member has had to review and evaluate the findings and recommendations of the two external counselors who were appointed to conduct the review.

University leaders remain committed to learning as much as possible about the tragedy and the circumstances that led to it, and to applying those lessons to keep the community safe. University leadership is currently reviewing the report to ensure factual accuracy, as well as the report’s recommendations. We will also discuss the recommendations with the Board of Visitors and with those who were most directly affected by this terrible tragedy, including the families of the students who were killed on Nov. 13, 2022. Following these steps, the University will share the report publicly, with a goal of doing so by early November.”

Brian Coy, Associate Vice President for Communications and Chief Communications Officer

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About the Author

Lauren Helkowski joined WSLS 10’s digital team in August 2022, but has held a passion for storytelling long before.

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