D'Sean Perry, killed in UVA shooting, remembered as loving, caring, God fearing man
MIAMI - D'Sean Perry was a gifted artist and that's something that University of Virginia head football coach Tony Elliott said he didn't think many people knew.
Perry was "very, very artistic, could draw, could shape pots with clay, loved music, very cultured and well-rounded," Elliott said. "Just a great teammate and had a sense of humor that was one of a kind that only D'Sean could have."
Perry was one of three football players from the school who were killed in a shooting late Sunday as a bus returned to the school's main campus in Charlottesville from a field trip.
University of Virginia President Jim Ryan identified the players killed as Perry from Miami, Devin Chandler from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Lavel Davis Jr. from Ridgeville, South Carolina.
D'Sean's parents, Sean and Happy Perry, thanked the South Florida and Charlottesville communities for the support they've received since the shooting. On Wednesday they released a statement that read in part:
"Our family is devastated by the passing of our son, D'Sean Perry. He was a loving, giving, caring, God-fearing young man who was full of life and potential, and who made his family proud. His positive impact was not only felt by our family, but also by the several communities that genuinely loved D'Sean, and that he was blessed to be a member of. Football and art was his passion, but the love that he had for his family, friends and his community was proven time and time again through his candid dedication."
"To become the type of kid he was, to always give back at 18, 19, 20 years old, to already be thinking in your mindset and to lose all of that as a parent. When your dream comes true and then to have an end like this. So they are in a deep moment of despair," said the family's attorney and friend Mike Haggard.
Perry, who graduated from Gulliver Preparatory Academy in Pinecrest in 2019, was known for his quick wit and his kind heart among the teachers and staff, the school's president Cliff King said in a statement.
"The amount of devastation cannot be described because every moment is dedicated to just thinking about the inconceivable happening. D'Sean was a beautiful flower in our garden at Gulliver and when he got transplanted to his next school we knew he was going to continue to grow," said said Gulliver Prep's football coach Earl Sims, Jr.
"The amount of devastation cannot be described because every moment is dedicated to just thinking about the inconceivable happening. D'Sean was a beautiful flower in our garden at Gulliver and when he got transplanted to his next school we knew he was going to continue to grow," said Sims.
"D'Sean was an amazing soul that made his family and community proud," head football coach Earl Sims said. "His high moral character and integrity spoke volumes about the young man he was becoming. His presence was rich and made every encounter worthwhile."
Perry, a junior, was a linebacker for Virginia and played in 15 games over the last three seasons. On Saturday against Pittsburgh, he tallied two tackles in the 37-7 loss.
Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., the man accused of killing three UVA football players and injuring two, was denied bond Wednesday in Charlottesville.
