Last night at the University of Virginia, five Cavalier students were shot by a disturbed former football player. Three are now dead, two in the hospital. All five were on the football team. Please pray for the souls of Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D’Sean Perry; and for God’s healing on the injured, whose names have not yet been released.

Pray, too, for the families; the UVA football team (of which my younger son is a member); and the entire UVA community.

Have mercy, O Lord, on the souls of the departed: Devin, Lavel and D’Sean. In your infinite love, comfort their parents and families. And extend your healing grace to those recovering in the hospital. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

[Editor’s Note: We join in praying for the families of the lost and injured, and the UVA family. And we are grateful that police were able to apprehend the suspect, former UVA player Christopher Darnell Jones, Jr.]

Timothy Furnish holds a Ph.D. in Islamic, World and African history from Ohio State University and a M.A. in Theology from Concordia Seminary. He is a former U.S. Army Arabic linguist and, later, civilian consultant to U.S. Special Operations Command. He’s the author of books on the Middle East and Middle-earth, a history professor and sometime media opiner (as, for example, on Fox News Channel’s War Stories: Fighting ISIS). He currently writes for and consults The Stream on international security matters.