Ohio State will wear Virginia-themed helmet decals on Saturday to honor the lives of three University of Virginia football players killed in an on-campus shooting last weekend.
The football program announced via Twitter with an image that shows a sticker with the state of Virginia in the color blue and the city of Charlottesville – the location of UVA's campus – covered with a red heart.
we send our heartfelt condolences to the @UVAFootball family as we play today pic.twitter.com/ry2BbiuZxp
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) November 19, 2022
"We want to express our sadness and our prayers to the entire University of Virginia and its football program over the senseless killings that took place over this past weekend," Ryan Day said on behalf of the Ohio State program on Tuesday. "Our prayers to the families and friends who have lost loved ones. It's tragic, senseless and it pains me to understand why something like this would happen, and so our thoughts are with everyone there in Charlottesville."
Virginia wide receivers Lavel Davis Jr. and Devin Chandler and defensive end D'Sean Perry were killed late in the evening on Sunday as their bus returned to Charlottesville from Washington, D.C., where the players had seen a play with their classmates. Running back Mike Hollins was also a victim in the shooting and is in critical condition after he was shot in the back, according to ESPN. A fifth victim not affiliated with the football program was discharged from the UVA hospital on Tuesday.
Local authorities arrested former Virginia walk-on running back Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. and charged him with three counts of second-degree murder, five counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and two counts of malicious wounding in connection with the campus carnage, court records show.
The Maryland football team also announced Saturday that their players will wear the same decal on their helmets for the Ohio State game.
Our hearts are with the @UVAFootball family today pic.twitter.com/dRQZHAsiu8
— Maryland Football (@TerpsFootball) November 19, 2022
“When things like this happen, it puts a lot of things into perspective, especially for me, having to be a dad that lost a son to gun violence,” Maryland head coach Mike Locksley said Tuesday. “I talked about it with our team (Monday), and our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
The Buckeyes and Terrapins kickoff at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland. In addition to the helmet stickers worn by both teams, the game will begin with a moment of silence in honor of the slain Virginia players.
The game will be televised on ABC.
