Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff held a vigil on the University of Georgia campus on Monday to honor the memories of two students who died last week.
The gathering outside the Tate Student Center memorialized Laken Riley and Wyatt Banks.
Riley, a former UGA student who was attending the Augusta University nursing school in Athens, was murdered while on a morning jog on Feb. 22. Her death stunned the campus community, sparking grief and fear among students.
Banks, a freshman at UGA, died by suicide on campus on Feb. 21, WSB-TV reports. UGA confirmed his death in a statement last week.
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‘We lost one of the brightest lights that’s ever been’
The vigil on Feb. 26 was organized by the campus chapters of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority Riley belonged to and the Kappa Sigma fraternity to which Banks belonged. The event brought students together for a time of shared mourning on their first day back to class since Riley’s murder.
“It is essential to embrace a perspective that celebrates their lives rather than solely mourning their loss,” Interfraternity Council President Alec Stephens said during his opening remarks.
UGA Alpha Chi Omega chapter president Chloe Mullis gave a tearful speech highlighting how Riley “exuded devotion with each and every thing she did” and sharing stories of kindnesses she had shown to other chapter members.
“It is so obvious to me why it feels so dark right now, and that is because we lost one of the brightest lights that there’s ever been,” Mullis said.
Banks’ friend and a member of his pledge class, Nicholas Nichols, spoke about how he and Banks did “practically everything together.” He described Banks as a selfless, fun-loving source of positivity.
‘We will make it through’
In a statement released Monday, UGA officials said the last few days have been some of the most difficult and challenging in the history of the institution as the university mourns the loss of two members of the Bulldog family.
“Our hearts ache for those who knew Wyatt and Laken personally,” the statement said. “UGA students, faculty and staff have shown tremendous resiliency as they have come together as a community to support one another. We know the next few days, weeks and months will be hard, but Bulldogs never bark alone and we will make it through together. Take care of yourselves and your fellow Bulldogs.”
During the vigil, organizers lit candles and handed out red and green ribbons for students to wear, representing the Alpha Chi Omega and Kappa Sigma colors. Others brought flowers and left them on the Tate stage in memory of Riley and Banks.
The Red & Black reporter Alison Mawn contributed to this article
