UVA shootings: Christopher Jones ‘targeted’ football players but motive still unknown, court hears

What happened in University of Virginia shooting

University of Virginia Shooting: 3 killed, 2 injured; former football player named as suspect

The 22-year-old University of Virginia student accused of shooting dead three fellow students and wounding two others was denied bond on Wednesday as the court heard how he allegedly “targeted” specific victims in the deadly massacre.

Christopher Darnell Jones appeared via video conference at the Albemarle General District Court at 9am local time, as he was arraigned for three counts of second-degree murder and five counts of firearm use in commission of felony.

Prosecutor Jim Hingeley cited a witness statement during Wednesday’s hearing, where he described how the individual had seen Jones shoot Devin Chandler while he was asleep in what appeared to be a targeted act before his body slumped to the floor.

Football stars D’Sean Perry and Lavel Davis Jr were identified earlier this week as the other two victims killed in the attack.

Officials have confirmed that Mr Jones was on the field trip with the victims and was on the bus when he opened fire.

A witness also revealed the “bizarre” words the suspect said moments before opening fire.

“Chris got up and pushed and pushed Lavel,” Ryan Lynch told KYW. “After he pushed him, he was like ‘You guys are always messing with me.’”

Key points

• Mass shooting leaves three dead, two injured
• Jones killed sleeping student on bus in targeted attack, prosecutor claims
• Suspect denied bond in first court appearance
• Candlelit vigils held to mourn three football stars killed
• Three victims killed identified as football players at UVA
• What we know about Christopher Darnell Jones

[14 November 2022 19:00 · Rachel Sharp]

Suspect taken into custody one hour drive from scene

UVA shooting suspect Christopher Darnell Jones was taken into custody on Monday roughly one hour drive from the scene of Sunday night’s attack.

Henrico Police said in a press release that Mr Jones was spotted driving a vehicle in Henrico County, Richmond, who carried out a traffic stop. The suspect pulled over and was taken into custody without incident.

The arrest was made just before 11am on Monday in the 5700 block of Edgelawn Street – around 75 miles from Charlottesville – around 12 hours on from the shooting.

[14 November 2022 19:15 · Rachel Sharp]

Suspect was ‘bullied’ and ‘hazed’ at UVA, claim sources

Sources have claimed that the suspected gunman was “bullied” and “hazed” during his time at the University of Virginia.

Chris Jones’s family members told NBC12 that he fell victim to hazing at the college.

At Monday’s press conference, officials said that he had been involved in a hazing incident but provided no further details.

A separate source told The Daily Beast that Mr Jones had “been bullied” at the college, saying “it was bad”.

[14 November 2022 19:30 · Rachel Sharp]

What we know about the victims

Three University of Virginia star football players have been identified as the victims allegedly killed by a fellow student and former college football player in a mass shooting on the campus.

Linebacker D’Sean Perry, 22; Lavel Davis Jr, and Devin Chandler died on Sunday night when suspected gunman Christopher Darnell Jones allegedly opened fire around a parking garage on the university’s main campus along Culbreth Road in Charlottesville.

Perry’s grieving father Sean Perry confirmed his son’s death to local paper Richmond Times-Dispatch on Monday morning and said that he and the victim’s mother Happy were flying from their hometown of Miami to Virginia.

Perry, who was 6’3” tall and weighed 230 pounds, was a linebacker and defensive end for the Virginia Cavaliers football team – the same University of Virginia team that Mr Jones made the roster for back in 2018.

The 22-year-old football star played just hours before his death, when his team took on Pittsburgh on Saturday.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the full story:

[14 November 2022 19:45 · Rachel Sharp]

University plans to hold vigil

University President Jim Ryan has said the college will hold a vigil for the victims of the shooting.

Mr Ryan posted an update to Twitter on Monday, writing: “Update: Police have the suspect in custody. I’m grateful to law enforcement for their extraordinary work in this search.”

He added:”We will be working with student leaders today to plan for a community vigil.”

[14 November 2022 20:00 · Rachel Sharp]

How the shooting unfolded:

Officials said that Christopher Darnell Jones opened fire on a bus full of students on Sunday night as they arrived back at the parking garage in the main campus along Culbreth Road in Charlottesville.

The group of students were returning from a class field trip to see a play in Washington DC at the time.

Three football players on the university team the Virginia Cavaliers – D’Sean Perry, Lavel Davis Jr, and Devin Chandler – were killed in the attack.

Two other students were shot and wounded and taken to hospital for treatment.

Mr Jones fled the scene before officers arrived.

[14 November 2022 20:21 · Andrea Blanco]

Suspect was on the radar of UVA’s threat assessment team

A manhunt for the suspect, who police identified as student and former football player Christopher Darnell Jones, 22, plunged the university’s residences into lockdown as students and staff were commanded by the University of Virginia Police and the school’s administration to shelter in place and seek safety if they weren’t inside already.

Police finally announced Mr Jones’ arrest just after 11am local time following warnings to the public that he was considered “armed and dangerous”.

It has since emerged that Mr Jones was on the radar of UVA’s threat assessment team prior to the violence on Sunday.

“Because I want to be transparent with you, I want you to know … Mr Jones came to the attention of the University of Virginia’s threat assessment team in the fall of 2022,” UVA Police Chief Tim Longo said. “They received information that Mr Jones had made a comment about possessing a gun to a person that was unaffiliated with the university,” he said.

Andrea Blanco has the story:

[14 November 2022 20:46 · Andrea Blanco]

Students killed in the shooting were part of UVA’s football team

Linebacker D’Sean Perry was one of three members of the UVA football team killed on Sunday.

Perry’s grieving father Sean Perry confirmed his son’s death to local paper Richmond Times-Dispatch on Monday morning and said that he and the victim’s mother were flying from their hometown of Miami to Virginia.

Perry, who was 6’3” tall and weighed 230 pounds, was a linebacker and defensive end for the Virginia Cavaliers football team – the same University of Virginia team that Mr Jones made the roster for back in 2018.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has more:

[14 November 2022 21:13 · Andrea Blanco]

Victims’ professor remembers them as “wonderful people”

Jack Hamilton, a professor at UVA, said on Twitter that both Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr were in his class.

“[D]evin was new to UVA last spring (he was a transfer student) and I had him in a large lecture class. [H]e nevertheless made a point to come to my office hours repeatedly, often just to ask questions about how things worked around uva,” Mr Hamilton tweeted about Chandler.

“Later I helped him declare his American studies major, which he was really excited about. he was an unbelievably nice person, always a huge smile, really gregarious and funny. one of those people who’s just impossible not to like. It is so sad and enraging that he is gone.”

Mr Hamilton also said about Davis: “One thing that struck me about vel was how much his classmates liked him and vice versa. in my experience star athletes often tend to hang out with other athletes (understandable, given the time commitment) but vel seemed to go out of his way to make friends with non-athletes”

[14 November 2022 21:35 · Andrea Blanco]

White House decries UVA shooting

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the President and First Lady are mourning with the University of Virginia community

“Our deepest condolences are with the countless families, friends, and neighbors grieving for those killed as well as those injured in this senseless shooting,” Mr Jean-Pierre said. “Administration officials are in close contact with state and local officials, and we are grateful for those authorities’ swift response to this attack.”

She continued: “Too many families across America are bearing the awful burden of gun violence. Earlier this year, President Biden signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly three decades, in addition to taking other historic actions.

“But we must do more. We need to enact an assault weapons ban to get weapons of war off America’s streets. House Democrats acted, and the Senate should follow.”

[14 November 2022 22:00 · Andrea Blanco]

Fatal UVA shooting victim had returned to the football team after an injury last year

After the shooting on Sunday, Lavel Davis Jr’s father wrote, “Lord please help me,” on Facebook, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

Davis, who was 6’7” tall, ranked No 2 in the nation and No 1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference for average yards per reception after the 2020 football season, the Associated Press reported.

He returned to the field this year after suffering an injury in 2021. He was on a watch list for 2022 Comeback Player of the Year, per the AP.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story: