Bentley student who died in the Bahamas given posthumous diploma
A day of celebration was also a day of remembrance.
Bentley University graduates celebrated their hard work while honoring a senior who died suddenly while on a class trip.
On Saturday, undergraduates held white roses in honor of Gaurav Jaisingh.
Bentley President Brent Chrite addressed the tragedy, saying that, 'Gaurav was supposed to cross the stage today, lift his degree high, and celebrate an accomplishment many years in the making."
During the ceremony, the school shared that Jaisingh was a finance and computer information systems major, a university tour guide, and a good friend.
'Those who were able to know Gaurav, and to count him as a friend, are richer for it.' President Chrite said.
Jaisingh's parents were called on stage to accept their son's diploma, the first to be given out.
Nassau police say that Jaisingh died in a senior trip to the Bahamas following a fall from an upper-level balcony.
According to Bentley University, he accidentally fell.
Despite police saying his death is thought to be an accident, the investigation into how it happened continues.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
31 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Pulse massacre survivors revisit the nightclub before it's razed for a permanent memorial
ORLANDO, Fla. — Survivors and family members of the 49 victims killed in the Pulse nightclub massacre nine years ago got their first chance Wednesday to walk through the long-shuttered, LGBTQ+-friendly Florida venue before it is razed and replaced with a permanent memorial to what was once the worst U.S. mass shooting in modern times. In small groups over four days, survivors and family members of those killed can spend half an hour inside the space where Omar Mateen opened fire during a Latin night celebration on June 12, 2016, leaving 49 dead and 53 wounded. Mateen, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, was killed after a three-hour standoff with police. At the time, it was the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The Pulse shooting's death toll was surpassed the following year when 58 people were killed and more than 850 were injured among a crowd of 22,000 at a country music festival in Las Vegas. The city of Orlando purchased the Pulse property in 2023 for $2 million and plans to build a $12 million permanent memorial that will open in 2027. Those efforts follow a multiyear, botched attempt by a private foundation run by the club's former owner. The existing structure will be razed later this year. Christine Leinonen, whose son, Christopher 'Drew' Leinonen was killed in the mass shooting, was among the first groups to go inside the club on Wednesday. Leinonen, who has been a fierce critic of the police response, the investigation into the mass shooting and the nightclub's owner, said she wanted to see the space where her son died. 'It's not closure. It's pragmatic for me because I needed to see the space. I needed to see how big it was,' Leinonen said afterward. 'I would have regretted it if I didn't go through it.' The opportunity to go inside the nightclub comes on the ninth anniversary of the mass shooting. Outside, oversize photos of the victims, rainbow-colored flags and flowers have hung on fences in a makeshift memorial, and the site has attracted visitors from around the globe. But very few people other than investigators have been inside the structure. Around 250 survivors and family members of those killed responded to the city's invitation to walk through the nightclub this week. Families of the 49 people who were killed were able to visit the site with up to six people in their group, and survivors could bring one person with them. The club had been cleaned and lighting has been installed ahead of the walk-throughs. The people invited to visit were given the chance to ask FBI agents who investigated the massacre about what happened. They weren't allowed to take photos or video inside. On Wednesday, a security screen shielded the entrance to the club as the visitors got off a small bus and walked into a white tent at the venue's entrance. Some of those who had planned to come backed out at the last minute. Brandon Wolf, who hid in a bathroom as the gunman opened fire, said he wasn't going to visit, primarily because he now lives in Washington. He said he wanted to remember Pulse as it was before. 'I will say that the site of the tragedy is where I feel closest to the people who were stolen from me,' said Wolf, who is now national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, a LGBTQ+ advocacy group. 'For survivors, the last time they were in that space was the worst night possible. It will be really hard to be in that space again.' Mental health counselors planned to be on hand to talk to those who walk through the building. Survivors and family members had hoped to have a permanent memorial in place by now. An earlier effort by a private foundation to build one floundered, and the organization disbanded in 2023. Barbara and Rosario Poma and business owner Michael Panaggio previously owned the property, and Barbara Poma was the executive director of the onePulse Foundation — the nonprofit that had been leading efforts to build a memorial and museum. She stepped down as executive director in 2022 and then left the organization in 2023 amid criticism that she wanted to sell instead of donate the property. There were also complaints about the lack of progress despite millions of dollars being raised. The original project, unveiled in 2019 by the onePulse Foundation, called for a museum and permanent memorial costing $45 million. That estimate eventually soared to $100 million. The city of Orlando has since outlined a more modest proposal and scrapped plans for a museum. 'The building may come down, and we may finally get a permanent memorial, but that doesn't change the fact that this community has been scarred for life,' Wolf said. 'There are people inside the community who still need and will continue to need support and resources.' ___ Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @ .
CBS News
33 minutes ago
- CBS News
Wilmington developer names new affordable housing project after late nephew killed in drunken driving crash
Community members gathered in Wilmington, Delaware, Wednesday for a groundbreaking ceremony on the site of what will soon be 14 new affordable townhomes. The project will be located in the city's Northside community. "I grew up in the city of Wilmington. I was born here," Donald Thompson said. Thompson is the founder of Truth in Actions Inc., the company behind the project. "It feels great to give back to my home, my community, my city," he said. For Thompson, the project is deeply personal. Thompson is calling it Raw Story Drive, in honor of his late nephew, Rick Anthony Williams, who was hit and killed at age 22 by a drunken driver in 2017. "To me, it's a proud moment for the housing, but a sad moment," Thompson said. "To me, this is a consolation. I would rather have him here and to be able to be there for him ... like he was for me. ... This is a consolation, this is something I'm doing in lieu of. I would rather him be here." "Rick, he was really an angel on earth," said Coretta Williams, Rick's mother and Thompson's sister. Williams says her son had a giving spirit, and she called this project a great way to honor his life. "I think that it's awesome. I think that it shows forth what we all should be doing, and that's trying to help. Trying to give," she said. Wilmington City Council President Trippi Congo said the area needs more affordable housing and this project fills a critical gap. "Of course, they help financially, but I think it's so much bigger than that. They help breathe a new spirit, a new life into the city," he said. The project is expected to be completed by 2027.
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Pulse nightclub shooting survivors and family members tour building before demolition
Survivors and family members of the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting are touring the inside of the building for a final look before it's torn down. About 250 people accepted the city of Orlando's invitation to tour the building where Omar Mateen, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, killed 49 people and wounded 53 others during a Latin Night celebration at the popular LGBTQIA+ club on June 12, 2016. Mateen was killed following an hourslong standoff with police. At the time, it was the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. The shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas would eclipse the Pulse shooting's death toll the following year. The visits, which coincide with the shooting's nine-year mark, are being done in small groups over the course of four days, with survivors and family members spending about a half hour inside, according to The Associated Press. Christine Leionen lost her only child, 32-year-old Christopher, in the shooting. Wednesday marked the first time she saw where her son was killed. "My son died on that dance floor. He was shot nine times, and he bled to death on that dance floor," she told CBS News. She said going to Pulse was "a way to try to experience his last seconds of life. I just want to feel closer to him." Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who also visited the site, said the visit "took me back nine years." "Reflecting on being in the command center on Orange Avenue as all the things are transpiring and, eventually, the shooting of the killer and then the realization of just how many people were impacted," he said, according to CBS affiliate WKMG-TV. Dyer said the people visiting included 25 of the 49 victims' families. The city of Orlando is planning to build a permanent memorial where the building currently stands. City officials approved a plan to buy the property for $2 million back in 2023, following several previous failed attempts to buy the land. Family members and some survivors had been pushing for a permanent memorial for years before the purchase. But some of the families and survivors still have questions about whether more could have been done to prevent the shooting or if police could have done more to save people. Questions also surround the ensuing investigation and the issue of whether the attack was a hate crime. "I lived that night, but it's a constant sacrifice to keep moving every day," survivor Maritza Gomez told WKMG back when the city approved the plan to buy the property. "I don't think that Pulse should be diminished. I think that an investigation should be taken care of first." and contributed to this report.
