RICHMOND, Va. -- Governor Glenn Youngkin (R - Virginia) called for prayer and support for those impacted by the shootings at the University of Virginia.
"I just ask everyone to come around them. Around those students impacted. Come around the entire university. It's a chance for us to come together and really pray and support one another," Youngkin said when asked how the state should react to the violence that claimed the lives of three UVA football players.
While Youngkin said there was a lot still to be learned about the shooting, he praised university leaders and law enforcement for their reactions to the crime.
"We have to trust that the leadership is doing everything they can to try to prevent any further loss of life, any further injuries. And that's what the team did," he said. "There's extraordinary capabilities in our law enforcement community, and they went to work immediately. And I think as parents we have to hopefully appreciate that that exists and that there will be moments where there's not great information and the best thing that everyone could have done, and they did, was follow the instructions — shelter in place."
When asked about the focus of his administration following the shootings, the governor said it was on the investigation and the victims.
"The circumstances and the facts, and the series of events are still very muddled. And there's a lot of work to do to understand exactly what has happened. And until we have that, I think it's premature to even suggest a course of action," he said. "That's why we have to support, with all our resources, which is what we've done since last night, to make sure that all state resources are available."
"Right now the job is to pray for and comfort families who have suffered just extraordinary loss and those that are still recovering. And the many, many students I think who are really going to be devastated by this," he concluded.
Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears also offered her condolences on her Twitter.
We deeply mourn with the families of the victims at UVA whose loved ones were so terribly ripped from them. We pray the survivors fully recover. Violence solves nothing. Please pray for peace and healing.
— Lt. Governor of Virginia - Winsome Earle-Sears (@WinsomeSears) November 14, 2022
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