The worst mass shooting in United States history hit close to home, of course, for the UNLV football program. They’re not, though, the only ones affected by the senseless tragedy.
Colorado co-offensive coordinator Darrin Chiaverini had connections to two of the 58 victims -- 28-year-old Chris Roybal, the former brother-in-law of Chiaverini’s brother, and 34-year-old Hannah Ahlers, described as a longtime friend of the coordinator’s wife Shannon. Roybal was a Navy veteran, while Ahlers was the mother of three children.We lost two people that we loved in the #LasVagasShooting Our hearts are broken. RIP Christopher 💔 RIP Hannah 💔 #StopTheViolence pic.twitter.com/xXl4CwTLYL
— Shannon Chiaverini (@Mrs_Chev6) October 3, 2017
“It’s been rough, of course, on them,” Buffaloes head coach Mike MacIntyre said according to the Boulder Daily Camera. “When you come into work and all of that is going on, and you think, ‘Ah, that’s in Las Vegas,’ and two of the 59 people are close ... it’s extremely tough.
“You can imagine Darrin’s family and everything they’re going through right now. Please remember Darrin and their family and all the things they’re going through.”
Three players from fellow Pac-12 member Utah call Las Vegas home as well, with two of them directly affected by the shooting. The girlfriend of redshirt junior defensive back Casey Hughes was in attendance at the country music concert where the shooting occurred, as were the cousins and a friend of freshman wide receiver Austin Turley.
According to Turley, the friend was shot in the shoulder but is recovering. All of the others with Utes connections escaped the massacre unscathed, at least physically.
“It’s terrible,” said sophomore offensive lineman Daniel Heller, the other who calls Las Vegas home but didn’t have anyone he knew or was related to at the concert. “That’s the one thing I never expected to happen in Vegas. That town is so different. … It’s heartbreaking to see.”