UMass Dartmouth holding Candlelight Vigil after two students die in less than 24 hours

Two UMass Dartmouth students have died in less than 24 hours prompting a vigil to remember the young lives lost.

According to Jennifer Sowa of the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, on Thursday at approximately 5:30 p.m., UMass Dartmouth Campus police were called regarding a motor vehicle that struck a pedestrian on campus.

Campus Police responded and located 19-year-old Frank A. Petillo Jr., a UMass Dartmouth freshman Bioengineering student, lying in the roadway on Ring Road with significant injuries.

Portillo was transported to St Luke’s Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

It was also announced that Alexandra Landry passed away. Landry was a fine arts student at the college and set to graduate this year. According to friends, she was a great artist who has work featured at UMass Dartmouth and the New Bedford Art Museum. A cause of death was not released.

On Monday, April 10, UMass Dartmouth will hold a Candlelight Vigil to honor Frank and Alex at 8 p.m. on the Quad in front of the Claire T. Carney Library.

Today, from 4 to 5 p.m. counseling services will be held in the Library Grand Reading Room.

On Thursday, April 13, Grief & Bereavement Group sessions will take place in the Counseling Center.

The fatal incident involving Petillo is being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office along with the CARS Unit of the Massachusetts State Police.