The University of Virginia has canceled the 21-gun salute for its Veterans Day ceremony over concerns that firing weapons on campus could cause “panic” among students.
The salute previously came at the end of the school’s 24-hour vigil and Veterans Day ceremony, a tradition for a decade, although it’s commonly seen in the U.S. as an honor for visiting dignitaries.
The decision to end the tribute was made by the school provost’s office and the colonel of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).
“One is that it would be disruptive to classes and two unfortunately with gun violence in the U.S., there was some concern that we would cause a panic if someone heard gunshots on grounds,” UVA President Jim Ryan wrote on his Facebook page announcing the change last week.
The university did not immediately respond to Fox News for comment.
Jay Levine, a veteran who went through the ROTC program at the school, said the 21-gun salute was the ultimate tribute to those who’ve served and passed away, WVIR-TV reported.
“I am very disillusioned, very upset, and very surprised that they would make such a decision,” Levine said. – READ MORE