University of Virginia shooting survivor Mike Hollins was trying to warn others before tragedy took place
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA: Brenda Hollins, the mother of Mike, one of the shooting survivors of the Charlottesville bus shooting that claimed the lives of three University of Virginia students, has spoken out about the harrowing experience her son went through. She said that her son had tried to warn the others after being struck by the gunfire that claimed the lives of the football players, Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr and D’Sean Perry.
Hollins is one of the two people who had been wounded during the incident and is recuperating in a hospital. Hollins spoke about her son’s presence of mind during the incident and how grateful she was that he survived, as per CNN.
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Mike ran off the bus and warned some of his classmates to flee when he spotted them coming to the bus. “He tried to take that first step back onto the bus and he met the shooter,” Hollins told CNN. She added that her son ran into the bus to help when he noticed that nobody was moving away. Hollins also provided an update on the young athlete’s condition saying she was just happy that he was “able to tell his story.”
She said that Mike had a long way to go in terms of recovery, on Saturday, November 19. “My son, he has feeling, so hurting is good. And so I’m trying to look at it in that aspect because … I saw him yesterday … he was up, he was walking. He was laughing, and I mean we had a good time, and then today he’s hurting.” She reportedly added, “He’s back in bed, and I know it’s going to be up and down, and I’m grateful for that because with the pain, here’s here, he’s with me.”
She also empathised with the parents of the students who were killed. “I’m thankful though, thankful because I could be one of the other boys’ parents and they’re making preparations to receive their sons’ bodies. I couldn’t imagine. I couldn’t imagine,” Hollins said.
She said that her son was best friends with the boys, especially Perry. He had woken up asking about what happened to them, only to be devastated to find out that his friend was no more. “As soon as they took him off of the ventilator, he asked ‘where’s D’Sean.’ And no one said anything, and my daughter, she shook her head and she told him he didn’t make it. And he just broke down, he broke down,” Hollins said.
Jones Jr was charged with second-degree murder and usage of a handgun in commission of felony. He also faces two counts malicious wounding, each accompanied with a firearm charge. He is currently in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.