JMU shares info on overnight incident

Dear members of the JMU Community,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you of the loss of two members of the community from an overnight shooting incident that occurred in Rockingham County, which is located off campus. Although they were not JMU students, they have connections with our local community and many across our campus will be impacted.

As a university, we believe in the importance of supporting one another during difficult times. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these two individuals.

We understand that many of you may be experiencing grief or other difficult emotions at this time and in the days to come. The university is here to support you and we encourage you to seek our resources that are available.

The JMU Counseling Center’s grief resource page has information about coping with trauma, and strategies for taking care yourself when managing stress are also available.

The Counseling Center offers a variety of mental health services to support students. Review our first visit page to learn more about how to connect to services.

Free telehealth support through TimelyCare services, which includes scheduled individual counseling as well as 24/7, on-demand support through TalkNow.

For JMU faculty and staff interested in connecting with their own mental health support, please know that the Employee Assistance Program (offered through the Office of Human Resources) provides up to four counseling sessions at no cost.

Many students live in the vicinity of where this incident took place. Anyone with additional information or who many have witnessed this incident should contact the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office.

Please continue to support one another during these difficult moments and encourage those in need to utilize resources available.

With warm thoughts,

Jonathan Alger,
JMU President