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Everything Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said about Virginia shooting

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•11/14/22•

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notre dame marcus freeman
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman took to the podium at 12 p.m. ET Monday as usual. Only this time, he did so with a bit of a heavy heart.

Freeman started his opening statement with a reflection on the Sunday night shooting at the University of Virginia. Three UVA football players — junior receiver Lavel Davis Jr., junior receiver Devin Chandler and junior defensive end D’Sean Perry — were killed, and two other students were injured.

Here is everything Freeman said about the shooting.

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

Elliott took over the head coaching post at Virginia this year. He was previously an assistant at Clemson, his alma mater, since 2011. Elliott and Notre Dame wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey were teammates at Clemson.

One of the students injured in the shooting is junior running back Mike Hollins. The Baton Rouge, La., native carried the ball 9 times for 44 yards against Notre Dame nearly one year ago to the date. He was the Cavaliers’ leading rusher in a 28-3 Notre Dame victory on Nov. 13, 2021, in Charlottesville.

Virginia is scheduled to host Coastal Carolina in Charlottesville this weekend for senior day. It’s not clear as of Monday afternoon if that game will be canceled or postponed or if it will be played as scheduled. Like Freeman, Coastal Carolina head coach Jamey Chadwell and CCU president Michael Benson sent their support to the UVA community.

“Our program is heartbroken for UVA, the victims’ families, loved ones and the entire community of Charlottesville,” Chadwell tweeted. “Our prayers are with all involved.”

“Our entire CCU Chanticleers university family mourns with the UVA family,” Benson tweeted. “The CCU community stands with the Charlottesville community in solidarity. Today we are all Cavaliers.”

Notre Dame director of athletics Jack Swabrick commented on the tragedy, too.

“Our Notre Dame family sends prayers and support to the University of Virginia community and its Athletics program during this unimaginable time,” Swabrick tweeted.

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