Former UNT student and son die in Nice on Bastille Day

French national flags hang from buildings in Oak Cliff during a Bastille Day celebration in the Bishop Arts District. Tomas Gonzalez | Visuals Editor

July 15

13:10 2016

Print This Article Share it With Friends

Matt Payne | Features Editor

@MattePaper

Sean Copeland, 51, father and UNT alumni, was killed with his 11-year-old son, Brodie, and more than 80 civilians Thursday, July 14 while celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France.

Copeland and his family were vacationing through Europe, first visiting Pamplona, Spain and Barcelona before Nice for Bastille Day, said Jessy Davis, a family friend and acting representative for the family, to the Dallas Morning News.

Copeland with his wife and two children resided in Prosper, 22 miles east of Denton.

He attended UNT in the fall 1983 and spring 1984 semesters. In a statement from the university, UNT “shares the shock and sadness felt around the world after the attack in Nice, France” and is “deeply saddened by the death of Sean Copeland, who attended UNT in 1984.” According to university records, Copeland took primarily core classes in his two semesters at UNT, and none of his former professors are still employed at the university.

Hill Country Baseball Club in the city of Lakeway, Texas said Copeland helped coach the team that his son played on. In a Facebook post that included a photo of Brodie swimming in the French Riviera, the club wrote, “Nobody deserves this type of fate, especially not such a wonderful family.”

Jonothan Piaz with Hill Country Baseball Club has started a GoFundMe to raise funds for the mourning family, already reaching over $15,000.

Featured Image: French national flags hang from buildings in Oak Cliff during a Bastille Day celebration in the Bishop Arts District. Tomas Gonzalez | Visuals Editor