Governor signs campus safety legislation at UVA following 2022 shooting

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Governor Abigail Spanberger signed new legislation Tuesday, May 12, at the University of Virginia aimed at strengthening safety on college campuses across Virginia.

Lawmakers and UVA leadership gathered inside the Rotunda with a message that the 2022 shooting cannot happen again.

“Today, we take a meaningful step forward,” said Scott Beardsley.

The legislation stems directly from the 2022 shooting that killed three UVA football players.

“We know what happened on the grounds in November of 2022, it fractured that safety, that feeling, not just for the community members here, but also for people across the commonwealth,” Spanberger said.

The bill, carried by Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds and Delegate Katrina Callsen, gives colleges more ability to share information about potentially dangerous behavior between campus police, counselors and university leadership.

“We can’t undo the past, but we can ensure the future. That’s what this legislation is about,” Deeds said.

“Until today, we have not given our colleges and our police chiefs the tools they need that changes today,” Callsen said.

UVA Police Chief Tim Longo said the memories of that night will never leave him and he hopes this new law will create a better future.

“I can’t look back over my shoulder and change the course of events. But what I would hope and pray for is that we as a community will come together and look out for each other,” Longo said.

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