This weekend, our campus felt tremors as it experienced the tragic loss of Conor Donnelly, a freshman from Pearl River, New York.
We extend our deepest condolences to those who knew Conor and his family. It is difficult to comprehend what a sudden loss like this feels like. For those who now face the grief and trauma of losing a loved one in Conor, we must reach out to them and support them in whatever ways we can.
As the news unfolded on Saturday, students were swept with waves of confusion, chaos and tragedy. In the wake of this news, it is important to remember that everyone experiences grief differently and to accept the emotions that manifest, in whatever form they may arise.
Even for those who did not know Conor personally, losing a fellow student is something that can be difficult to process. We must turn to each other for support as we cope with this loss. The tragedy of this loss is compounded as Conor’s death came less than five months after the passing of BU student Stefani Lineva, who was killed in a hit-and-run in December. Our community has now lost two members in a brief period of time.
Now is not the time for students to place blame or cast judgment on any of the actions that led to such an unspeakable tragedy. Rather, it is important that as a community, in the coming months we learn what led to this and determine what, if anything, can be done to prevent something similar from happening in the future.
We don’t have the answers, and don’t expect others to either, but as time passes and our emotions shift, so must our questioning of the circumstances under which awful events like this continue to happen.