Hundreds attended a vigil at the University of South Florida on Friday to remember two doctoral students who were brutally killed last month.
Many placed single flowers under photos of Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon, both of whom were 27 and from Bangladesh. Some wore all-white Punjabi suits, as is customary in their home country for those in mourning.
Several people spoke at the podium, including some of the students' professors.
Limon was described as hardworking, respectful — not in a performative way but in a deep way to everyone. He was humble and kind, they said.
Bristy was passionate about music and singing. And she was known to carry an umbrella with her everywhere to shield herself from the Florida sun.
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USF President Moez Limayem shared his feelings, emotionally saying the two had so much ahead of them, which he said makes this loss so incredible.
“Not who they were, but who they were becoming,” Limayem said
Limayem described the two students as friends, classmates and mentors to so many at USF. He said they were "dreamers" and "builders of a better future." He said he's heard about their kindness, integrity, generosity and dedication to their families.
"They came here with courage — leaving everything familiar behind them to build lives with purpose and possibility," Limayem said.
He also said he wanted Limon and Bristy's families to know they are not alone. He said he wasn't speaking just as the president, but also as a father and someone who was once an international student himself.
"There are no words. There are no words that make this right, and few words I can say to ease the pain you are feeling," Limayem said. "But please know this, your children matter here. They belonged here. They were loved here. And they will never, ever be forgotten."
He added that it's an "incomprehensible tragedy."
"It is a loss that should never happen, and it has left a void. It has left a void in our community that cannot be filled," Limayem said.
The vigil took place at Crescent Hill, just behind the Marshall Student Center.
Across from the grassy area is a dark-stone memorial wall for students who died while they were attending USF.
Officials say it will soon bear the names of Bristy and Limon.
The two friends were stabbed and killed in mid-April.
Earlier Friday, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Bristy's body was formally identified after being found in the waters off the Howard Frankland Bridge last weekend. That came days after Limon's remains were found in garbage bags on the bridge.
The remains are being returned to their families in Bangladesh.
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Limon's off-campus roommate was arrested and faces charges of first-degree murder, unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, and tampering with evidence.
A USF spokesperson said the school is reviewing how off-campus housing resources are presented to students.
And a GoFundMe page was created in support of Limon and Bristy's families. As of Friday afternoon, almost $170,000 has been raised.
President Limayem said he wanted to be clear that the safety and well-being of the university community is an obligation that does not end at the edge of campus.
"Many of our students live off campus. They are still our students. They are still our family, and their safety is our responsibility," he said.
The university is conducting a comprehensive top-to-bottom review of off-campus housing safety, he said. They're looking at conditions, partnerships, protections and more.
"We will not stop until we are confident that we have done everything, and I really mean everything to better protect our students," he said. "This will not be symbolic. This will not be just words. This will be sustained, focused and relentless because we own Nahida and Zamil more than words. We owe them actions."
WUSF's Meleah Lyden contributed to this report.
