LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Students and staff at Doane University are still trying to process a tragedy they say they’ve never experienced before.
Last week, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in Texas responded to a shooting in San Antonio that killed 22-year-old Jessica Villanueva, a Doane student. Authorities announced Monday that the man accused of shooting her before turning the gun on himself, Ian Riles, died on Friday from his injuries.
According to the university, Villanueva and Riles had both attended Doane and were friends at the time of the incident. While Riles had already graduated, Villanueva’s family said she was just weeks away from getting her diploma in December.
Sydney Tramp, a friend of both Villanueva and Riles, said Friday was a day she’ll never forget.
“That was probably the hardest part was hearing it was both of them and not just Jess,” Tramp said. “Whenever we got together, there was never a lack of laughs … [Villanueva] was smiling, always energetic, always tried to make you laugh. And that was one thing that I really loved about her because I didn’t have that.”
For Tramp, her last conversation with Villanueva has stuck with her since. The two were planning to celebrate Tramp’s birthday.
“The last messages we had were like, ‘yeah, it’s okay.’ Like ‘we’ll get together soon. We’ll go watch another movie,’” Tramp said. “That’s the hard part right now is I never got to, we never got to reach each other after wanting to get together for my birthday.”
Dr. Cale Stolle, one of Villanueva’s professors and an advisor for Riles, said he also found out about the news on Friday.
“One of the sweeter people I met and had the opportunity to teach,” Stolle said in describing Villanueva. “Working with her she would always make sure everyone around her was taken care of.”
Being a smaller university, Stolle said the Doane community has been hit hard by the entire situation. He said the loss has not only affected students, but the staff as well.
“I feel like a lot of the student population, the faculty population, we’re trying to find a way to grieve on our own,” he said. “It’s not just somebody who comes here to take classes. It’s somebody who you put effort and attention into, somebody who you get to see the amazing potential of and then get to see it gone.”
Despite her passing, Tramp said Villanueva’s legacy will not be forgotten.
“I hope that Jess is remembered as being a joyful person,” she said. “Being someone who always tried to light up a room. Someone who just never tried to see the bad and people always tried to find the good.”
Doane University will be hosting a vigil at the Cassel Theatre on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. to remember Villanueva.
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