Peter D'Agostino UVA sophomore and heir to D'Agostino's kills himself

Publish date: 2024-08-15

Tragedy struck the already reeling University of Virginia campus last week when a 20-year-old student and heir to New York City supermarket fortune committed suicide last week.

Peter D'Agostino, 20, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Thursday. He was the great-grandson of New York City supermarket chain founder Nicholas D'Agostino Sr.

The gut-wrenching tragedy comes at a particularly bad time for the university. Just last week it saw its Phi Kappa Psi fraternity embroiled in a sickening sexual assault and, last Tuesday, missing student Hannah Graham's death was officially ruled a homicide.

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Sad: Supermarket heir and sophomore at the University of Virginia Peter D'Agostino shot himself at his Charlottesville home on Thursday afternoon

Sad: Supermarket heir and sophomore at the University of Virginia Peter D'Agostino shot himself at his Charlottesville home on Thursday afternoon

Big family: D'Agostino's comes from the family who started the ubiquitous New York City supermarket chain D'Agostino's. He was one of four siblings, all of Greenwich, Connecticut. He's also survived by a large extended family Big family: D'Agostino's comes from the family who started the ubiquitous New York City supermarket chain D'Agostino's. He was one of four siblings, all of Greenwich, Connecticut. He's also survived by a large extended family

Big family: D'Agostino's comes from the family who started the ubiquitous New York City supermarket chain D'Agostino's. He was one of four siblings, all of Greenwich, Connecticut. He's also survived by a large extended family

D'Agostino was not a member of Phi Kappa Psi or other campus fraternity.

Vice President and Chief Student Affairs officer Pat Lampkin said in statement emailed to U.Va. newspaper the Cavalier Daily:

'This news comes in the midst of a very difficult time for the University community...Let's look out for one another as a community as we grieve Peter's loss and begin to heal together.'

D'Agostino's roommate is the person who called police Thursday. They arrived to find the Greenwich, Connecticut man dead at 2:08pm.

Police on Monday continued their investigation and declined to release information regarding the firearm D'Agostino used and where he might have gotten it.

D'Agostino was an accomplished rower in high school while attending St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware.

He was also the student body president during his time at the boarding school, and gave a speech at his 2013 commencement in which he said (via The Daily Cavalier):

'At St. Andrew's, we work hard and we hold ourselves accountable to the people around us...Our end of the bargain in these relationships means working beyond exhaustion and creating the types of intangible achievements that will ultimately reflect lives well lived.'

At U.Va., he was one of the newest members of the improv group the Whethermen. The group canceled a show scheduled for this past weekend in the wake of the tragedy. 

Funnyman: D'Agostino (right) was a new member of UVA's improv group the Whethermen. He was envied for his spot on impersonations 

Funnyman: D'Agostino (right) was a new member of UVA's improv group the Whethermen. He was envied for his spot on impersonations 

Accomplished: D'Agostino (right) was student body president and an accomplished rower when he attended St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware. He gave a commencement speech upon his graduation in 2013

Accomplished: D'Agostino (right) was student body president and an accomplished rower when he attended St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware. He gave a commencement speech upon his graduation in 2013

Watch Peter D'Agostino's 2013 high school commencement speech at 34:00 mark 

  

Family business: Peter was born into a family of grocery store heirs. His great-grandfather Nicholas D'Agostino started the now ubiquitous New York City supermarket chain in 1932

Family business: Peter was born into a family of grocery store heirs. His great-grandfather Nicholas D'Agostino started the now ubiquitous New York City supermarket chain in 1932

Dark days: News of D'Agostino's death comes at a rough time for his university, which just last week got nasty news about both missing student Hannah Graham and a repugnant fraternity sex assault scandal

Dark days: News of D'Agostino's death comes at a rough time for his university, which just last week got nasty news about both missing student Hannah Graham and a repugnant fraternity sex assault scandal

D'Agostino was one of four children. He was born in Manhattan and raised in tony Greenwich, Connecticut.

D'Agostino spent summers at Camp Winona in Maine every year since age 7. He spent the last four summers as a counselor. You can learn more about Camp Winona here. 

He's survived by his parents Mary Beth and Walter D'Agostino and a large extended family, who've arranged for a wake on Monday evening and a funeral mass Tuesday.

University of Virginia President Teresa A. Sullivan addressed D'Agostino's death Saturday in a letter to the school's community in which she announced all campus sororities would be suspended effective immediately in the wake of a rape scandal.

'I want to express my grief at hearing the news of the death of second-year student Peter D'Agostino,' Sullivan wrote, 'whose passing adds overwhelming emotion to what has been a difficult semester for all of us.

'We are united in our compassion, resolve, and determination: Compassion for survivors of assault; resolve to make our community better; determination to begin to solve this problem here and now. I hope that you will join me.'

The ban was imposed after Rolling Stone magazine published an article detailing one woman's account of a September 2012 gang rape she endured and describing what it called a hidden culture of sexual violence. 

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On Tuesday, it was announced University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, whose disappearance sparked a monthlong search, died from 'homicidal violence' with the exact cause still unknown.

The Albemarle County Police Department outlined the findings from the Virginia medical examiner's office in the death of 18-year-old Graham but said a final autopsy report has not been issued. 

Graham's remains were found Oct. 18 near Charlottesville, roughly 6 miles from where the body of 20-year-old Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington was found after she vanished in 2009. 

A posting on the door of Peabody Hall related to the Phi Kappa Psi gang rape allegations at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on Monday, as well as, ostensibly, to Peter D'Agostino A posting on the door of Peabody Hall related to the Phi Kappa Psi gang rape allegations at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on Monday, as well as, ostensibly, to Peter D'Agostino

A posting on the door of Peabody Hall related to the Phi Kappa Psi gang rape allegations at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on Monday, as well as, ostensibly, to Peter D'Agostino

Protestors carry signs and chant slogans in front of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house at the University of Virginia late Saturday. The protest, the most well-attended of several throughout the day, was in response to the university's reaction to an alleged sexual assault of a student revealed in a recent Rolling Stone article

Protestors carry signs and chant slogans in front of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house at the University of Virginia late Saturday. The protest, the most well-attended of several throughout the day, was in response to the university's reaction to an alleged sexual assault of a student revealed in a recent Rolling Stone article

On Tuesday, it was announced University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, whose disappearance sparked a monthlong search, died from 'homicidal violence' with the exact cause still unknown

On Tuesday, it was announced University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, whose disappearance sparked a monthlong search, died from 'homicidal violence' with the exact cause still unknown

For confidential help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here

For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here 

 

 

 

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