CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — On Nov. 13, 2022, the lives of many families and a school community changed forever when an on-campus mass shooting left three University of Virginia students dead and two others injured.
A year later, two of the victims' moms spoke out about the shooting, how they are still impacted, and their hopes for the future. The two mothers were Brenda Hollins, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the mother of Mike Hollins, who survived the shooting and is a current student athlete on the UVA football team and Happy Perry, of Miami, Florida, who is the mother of D'Sean Perry, who was killed one year ago. He was also a student athlete on the football team.
Mike Hollins and D'Sean Perry shared a bond that the mothers said was much like brotherhood. Brenda Hollins even said that they teammates were always together.
"They were inseparable," she said.
After the shooting, Brenda Hollins said her son initially had a hard time talking about the time he spent with D'Sean Perry, but now as he reflects he can smile -- but this took time.
And just like her son, Brenda Hollins has had a hard time as well as they recover from the tragedy. She says she remembers that phone call that night.
"The 4-3-4 appeared on my screen," she said referencing the Charlottesville area code, and a number not saved in her phone. "I knew it was something, I knew something happened."
And now, when the area code appears, she is anxious, as that area code revealed horrible news to the mother.
As for Happy Perry, she said she had been a bundle of nerves for the last 48 hours -- and she has prayed her way through these rough times. But through it all, she is staying positive as she knows D'Sean's legacy is still alive in Charlottesville, as she returns to the area that holds so much emotion.
Happy Perry said to be back in the Virginia town and see the names and the legacy, she is comforted to know that the boys are genuinely loved.
"People keep saying anniversary date, but it’s not, to me it is a day of remembrance," Happy Perry said.
On that day, Happy Perry said that everything that happened is the feeling of vulnerability and the process of the unknown. As this news was trickling in for her, she was in Miami -- so far away from her son.
Along with D'Sean Perry, Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr. were also shot and killed; they both were also student athletes. Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., the man accused of the deadly crime, is facing a mandatory life sentence. Here's a look at the charges he is facing.
The two mothers, who now have a bond that Brenda Hollins described as "necessary," they want to see is change when it comes to gun violence. Brenda Hollins said if she could leave something for people it would be "not to just document things that are said but to actually go in and protect our children."
"The time is now, the time is now to start to fight," Happy Perry said. "I am now pushed into this horrific fight and now I want to see the positive come out of something so negative."
On Oct. 20, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the conclusion of an external review of the school shooting, which was requested by the University of Virginia and their Board of Visitors.
“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.”
The report is in the hands of university officials, with the details expected to be made to the public at a later time. The family of the victims are also waiting for these details.