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Donovan Lynch, 25, of Virginia Beach, was an offensive lineman for the University of Virginia College at Wise during the 2017 and 2018 seasons and a school graduate in 2019. He was hot and killed by a policeman at a Virginia seaside resort, a college football player whose death stunned his former teammates and head coach.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) – A man gunned down by a police officer at a Virginia seaside resort was a college football player whose death stunned his former teammates and head coach.
Donovan Lynch, 25, of Virginia Beach, was an offensive lineman for the College of the University of Virginia at Wise during the 2017 and 2018 seasons and a 2019 graduate from the school, the Bristol Herald Courier reported.
Head football coach Dane Damron told the newspaper Lynch was a good player and an outgoing man. He remembers meeting Lynch and his parents at their home when he was recruiting him.
“He was also at my house a lot, through a cooking class my wife did with some of my players,” Damron said. “He has never met a foreigner. He will certainly be missed.
Lynch was one of two people killed in shootings that also injured at least eight others Friday night in Virginia Beach, police said.
Police first said that a policeman “met an armed citizen” and shot him. Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate later said investigators found a gun “near” the shooting, but immediately had no evidence that it belonged to Lynch, The reported. Virginian-Pilot.
Neudigate said the officer who killed Lynch was carrying a body camera, but “for unknown reasons” it was not activated.
“We would like to provide answers to the community. At this point, we don’t have them, ”the police chief said on Saturday.
The officer who killed Lynch has been placed on administrative leave, police said. He has been with the service for five years and is assigned to its special operations division.
Deshayla E. Harris, 28, of Norfolk, was also killed in another shootout. Investigators believe Harris was likely a bystander struck by stray gunshots. No arrests were made immediately after his assassination.
Police said the bloodshed occurred in a series of shootings that began shortly after 11 p.m. Friday along a crowded strip of hotels, clubs and restaurants.
Investigators believe the first shooting was the result of a brawl involving a group of people, police said. Three men were arrested on charges arising from the initial shooting, including criminal assault and reckless handling of a firearm.
Harris was killed when further gunfire erupted several minutes after the first shooting. Investigators believe his death was unrelated to the first shooting.
A Virginia Beach police officer was also struck by a vehicle, authorities said. He was treated for his injuries and was released from the hospital.
Lynch’s father told WAVY-TV that his son was “a father’s dream.”
Former teammate Zach Cannon, a fellow native of Virginia Beach, recalled how they would talk about their family “and everything in between” on commutes to and from school.
“Their family were always very friendly when I first met them and I feel a lot for them during that time,” Cannon said.
“I didn’t believe it at first,” said another former teammate, Eli Marks. “He was a good guy, always laughing and joking. He was still dancing in the locker room to the music. Just a great individual overall.
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