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2022 University of Virginia shooting

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2022 University of Virginia shooting
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LocationUniversity of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.
DateNovember 13, 2022; 2 years ago (2022-11-13)
c. 10:30 p.m. (EST)
TargetUVA football players and another student
Attack type
School shooting, mass shooting
WeaponsHandgun
Deaths3
Injured2
PerpetratorChristopher Darnell Jones Jr.
Charges

On the night of November 13, 2022, a mass shooting took place at the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which three people were killed and two others were injured.[1][2] Four of the victims, including the three who died, were members of the UVA football team.[3] The perpetrator, 22-year-old Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., was later taken into custody and charged with three counts of second-degree murder, as well as three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony.[4] On November 20, 2024, Jones pleaded guilty in the shooting.[5]

Shooting

[edit]

The perpetrator, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., opened fire while on a chartered bus[6] that had returned from a UVA class trip to Washington, D.C., to see a play about Emmett Till on November 13, 2022. While Jones was not a part of the class on African American playwrights, which included five UVA football players, he had been invited to join the trip as he was taking a social justice class taught by the same professor. On the way back Jones rode in the back of the bus and did not engage in most of the discussion with others.[4][7]

The first shots were heard at approximately 10:15 p.m. (EST)[8][9] at a parking garage near the UVA drama building. All those involved in the shooting were on the bus.[10] Some survivors said that they heard Jones yell, "You guys are always messing with me" before he opened fire.[7]

A survivor said that the shooting began as they were pulling up to the parking garage, and at first she thought it was a balloon or bag of chips popping, before she smelled smoke and gunpowder and dropped to the floor of the bus. During a lull in the shooting she saw Jones move down the aisle of the bus before leaving the bus, and the gunfire began again. Even during calls to evacuate the bus, some students attempted to give first aid and CPR to victims, before their professor evacuated them into the drama building, where several hid in a bathroom and called 911.[7] Witnesses reported that the shooting appeared to be targeted, with Jones shooting one of the deceased victims who was asleep.[11] The mother of one of the wounded told reporters that her son had reportedly evacuated from the bus with two students, but was wounded after returning to attempt to help his friends after realizing that no one else had evacuated.[12][13]

At around 10:30 pm, Virginia Cavaliers head football coach Tony Elliott was called by an uninjured football player on the bus and notified of what happened, along with UVA police department support services bureau captain Mike Blakey, and both responded to the scene at the same time. Elliot and Blakey were quickly sent to the hospital before reaching the crime scene. As both of the injured were members of UVA sports teams, multiple other coaches and athletics administrators joined the two men at the hospital.[14]

A shelter in place warning was issued on Sunday night and was carried out until 10:33 a.m. Monday. While sheltering, students were sent the words "Run. Hide. Fight." through a cell phone alert system.[15] The shelter in place was active for approximately 12 hours during a manhunt for the suspect.[1] Multiple law enforcement agencies worked together during the manhunt.[16]

Jones was spotted by a local officer who was on the lookout for a car matching that of the suspect.[17] Jones was taken into custody at 11:24 a.m. on November 14 in Henrico County.[18][19]

Victims

[edit]

The deceased victims were Devin Chandler, a third-year student from Huntersville, North Carolina; D'Sean Perry, a third-year student from Miami, Florida; and Lavel Davis Jr., a third-year student from Dorchester, South Carolina,[18] all members of the UVA football team.[20][21]

Two other UVA students were wounded and hospitalized in moderate condition, including another football player for the university.[9][22][23]

Aftermath

[edit]

Classes for UVA students were canceled on Monday and Tuesday, with students returning to class on Wednesday but all work was non-graded for the rest of the week.[23] Classes were also canceled for students in Charlottesville City Public Schools and Albemarle County Public Schools.[24] A hotline was set up by the university for families and students, for any potential questions and information about the shooting.[25] A vigil for the victims was held the day after the shooting, with candles placed around the Statue of Homer on campus with signs depicting the phrase "UVA Strong" and the uniform numbers of the deceased players; "1-15-41".[10] A joint memorial service was held for the three deceased victims on November 19, with just over 9,000 people in attendance to celebrate the life of the victims. Celebrities attended and performed in the service, such as Bronco Mendenhall, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, past Cavalier players including Chris Long and Heath Miller, and gospel singer CeCe Winans.[26] Before the service Elliot and the football team held a senior day to honor the victims and thirty-three additional senior players.[14]

The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball game scheduled for November 14 against Northern Iowa was later canceled due to the shooting.[27] The home season finale of the Cavaliers football team against Coastal Carolina scheduled for November 19 and the regular season finale against Virginia Tech scheduled for November 26 were also canceled.[28][29]

Perpetrator

[edit]

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., aged 22, was identified as the perpetrator. Born in Petersburg, Virginia, he attended eighth grade at John Rolfe Middle School.[30] He spent his first three years of high school at Varina High School (where he played for the football team and was honorable mention all-conference as a freshman and second-team as a sophomore and junior) in Varina, Henrico County, Virginia. He then attended Petersburg High School for his senior year (where he was an honorable mention all-conference as a senior).[31][30]

During his high school years he was named Student of the Year twice, and was a member of the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society, president of the Key Club, and president of the Jobs for Virginia Grads Program.[32]

Jones is a former walk-on UVA football player. He was a member of the team for one season as a freshman in 2018, but did not play any games.[33][34][35]

He had been investigated with regard to being the subject of alleged on-campus hazing in the past.[2][36] Relatives of Jones said that he had been hazed while at UVA, and a source who knows Jones said that he had “been bullied” at UVA, “and it was bad.”[20] That investigation was ended because witnesses would not cooperate.[2]

Jones was under investigation in September 2022 over concerns that he owned a gun, after someone who does not attend or work for the university reported that Jones had made a comment about having a gun, though the person had never seen it.[2] The UVA Office of Student Affairs reported the concerns to the multidisciplinary threat assessment team, and investigators had reached out to Jones.[2] School officials also reached out to his roommate who stated they had never seen the weapon.[37] Investigators had also learned of an incident involving a concealed weapon violation outside Charlottesville in February 2021.[2]

[edit]

Jones was arrested and charged with three counts of second degree murder and three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony.[4] State and federal prosecutors pledged support to the local law enforcement community in terms of investigating the incident and trying the suspect in the appropriate jurisdiction.[38] Two days after the shooting, prosecutors additionally charged Jones with two counts of malicious wounding, each accompanied by the use of a firearm.[39] Jones was denied bond during his first court appearance.[40]

Jones' trial was scheduled to begin January 22, 2025.[41] He faced 13 charges — five counts of unlawful firearm use, six counts of aggravated murder, and two counts of malicious bodily injury. He was denied bail and is being held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail awaiting trial.[42] On November 20, 2024, Jones pleaded guilty in the shooting.[5]

Responses

[edit]

University of Virginia President Jim Ryan sent an email to students shortly after news of the shooting broke, stating he was heartbroken to report the shooting and deaths.[4] University of Virginia head coach Tony Elliott issued a statement about 24 hours after the shooting, where he celebrated the three deceased victims' lives and strength of the team and staff, and aimed to provide resources for the team to process the deaths.[10] US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden issued a joint statement about the shooting, which offered their condolences to the families of the victims, thanked first responders for their swift response, and condemned gun violence.[43]

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin tweeted condolences and made an additional statement at the Governor's Tourism Summit the same day asking for the attendees to join in prayer for the community.[25] US House of Representatives member Jennifer Wexton (D, Virginia 10th) said in a tweet: "My heart breaks for those killed and injured, and for the entire UVA community which has been shaken by this horrific tragedy. These terrifying and senseless acts of violence must end. We need greater gun safety reform in our country."[44]

Jones' father stated that he was in disbelief that his son was the suspected shooter, but alleged that his son had recently told him people were "picking on him" but he hadn't spoken to his son in about a month.[11]

During the 2023 NFL draft, the three victims were named the honorary first draft picks for their favorite teams, and their families were presented with jerseys with their names on them.[45]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Here's what to know about the shooting in Charlottesville". The New York Times. November 14, 2022. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Andone, Dakin; Cullianne, Susannah; Burnside, Tina (November 14, 2022). "A manhunt is underway for a student after 3 people were shot dead and 2 wounded at the University of Virginia". CNN. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  3. ^ Schlabach, Mark (November 16, 2022). "Virginia shooting suspect aimed at people, witness says". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Lenthang, Marlene; Romero, Dennis; Da Silva, Chantal (November 14, 2022). "UVA shooting suspect is in custody; three students killed were on football team, officials say". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Ex-student pleads guilty to fatally shooting 3 University of Virginia football players in 2022". Associated Press. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  6. ^ Levenson, Eric (November 14, 2022). "Bus that was site of shooting towed away from campus". CNN. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Wan, William (November 15, 2022). "How a U-Va. class trip ended in gunfire and death: 'Get off the bus!'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  8. ^ "Suspect in University of Virginia Shooting Is in Custody, Police Say". The New York Times. November 14, 2022. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Levenson, Eric (November 14, 2022). "Two shooting witnesses say they saw people running off the bus". CNN. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c Yan, Amir Vera,Holly (November 15, 2022). "Suspect in UVA shooting was on the bus with victims returning from a Washington DC trip, school spokesperson says". CNN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ a b Planas, Antonio; Lenthang, Marlene (November 16, 2022). "UVa student charged in deaths of 3 football players shot one victim in his sleep, prosecutor says". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  12. ^ Schlabach, Mark (November 17, 2022). "UVA survivor went back to bus to help, mom says". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  13. ^ "Mother of UVA shooting victim in hospital said he's asked about his friends on the bus". CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR. November 16, 2022. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Adelson, Andrea (November 21, 2022). "How Virginia mourned and then celebrated its fallen teammates". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  15. ^ Rankin, Sarah; Seewer, John (November 15, 2022). "Virginia students were prepared for shooting, not aftermath". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  16. ^ Reyes, Steve Gardner and Lorenzo. "Three University of Virginia football players killed, former player in custody. What we know". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  17. ^ Levenson, Eric (November 14, 2022). "Henrico Police officer spotted suspect's car prior to arrest, police say". CNN. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  18. ^ a b Kolenich, Eric (November 13, 2022). "2 wounded, 3 dead in University of bus shooting; suspect in custody". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  19. ^ Levenson, Eric (November 14, 2022). "UVA shooting suspect was arrested without incident in Henrico County, Virginia". CNN. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Ladden-Hall, Justin Rohrlich,Dan (November 14, 2022). "UVA Suspect 'Waited' for Football Players to Get Back to Campus, Survivor's Dad Says". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022 – via www.thedailybeast.com.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "Lavel Davis Jr". Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site. June 27, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  22. ^ Levenson, Eric (November 14, 2022). "All three shooting victims were UVA football players, president says". CNN. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  23. ^ a b Barefoot, Allie (November 16, 2022). "'It feels like a nightmare': UVA continues to process the deadly shooting on campus". WRIC ABC 8News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  24. ^ "No School and Offices Are Closed While UVA Tragedy Is Investigated | Charlottesville City Schools". charlottesvilleschools.org. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  25. ^ a b "'Horrific tragedy': Reactions pour in from Va. leaders after UVA shooting". WSET. November 14, 2022. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  26. ^ Adelson, Andrea (November 20, 2022). "UVA football players honored in memorial service". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  27. ^ Barber, Mike (November 14, 2022). "UVa cancel's men's basketball game against Northern Iowa". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  28. ^ "Virginia Football Game vs. Coastal Carolina Cancelled" (Press release). Charlottesville, Virginia: University of Virginia Athletic Department. November 16, 2022. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  29. ^ Madia, Greg (November 21, 2022). "Saturday's Virginia-Virginia Tech football game canceled". The Daily Progress. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Davison, Kate (November 14, 2022). "Who is Christopher Darnell Jones Jr.? Suspect in University of Virginia shooting arrested". CBS Austin. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  31. ^ "Chris Jones". Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site. April 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  32. ^ "Who is Christopher Darnell Jones? Manhunt for two-time 'Student of the Year' University of Virginia shooting suspect ends in arrest". WRIC ABC 8News. November 14, 2022. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  33. ^ []https://virginiasports.com/player/chris-jones/ Archived November 15, 2022, at the Wayback Machine
  34. ^ "Manhunt underway for suspect after 3 killed in UVA shooting". WAVY. November 14, 2022. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  35. ^ "Christopher Darnell Jones: Everything we know about UVA mass shooting suspect". The Independent. November 14, 2022. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  36. ^ "Ex-football player alleges hazing at University of Virginia - the Washington Post". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 10, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  37. ^ DeFusco, Jackie (November 16, 2022). "After UVA shooting, calls for reform and questions about prevention ensue". WRIC ABC 8News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  38. ^ Levenson, Eric (November 14, 2022). "State and federal prosecutors assisting local agencies with UVA shooting investigation". CNN. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  39. ^ Amir, Vera (November 15, 2022). "Prosecutor announces additional charges against suspect in University of Virginia shooting ahead of his first scheduled court appearance". CNN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  40. ^ Johns, John; Graef, Aileen; Vera, Amir; Yan, Holly (November 16, 2022). "Suspect accused of killing 3 University of Virginia football players is denied bond as new revelations emerge". CNN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  41. ^ Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. Trial set for 2025, February 5, 2024
  42. ^ "Trial date set for suspect of November 13, 2022 shooting on U.Va. Grounds," The Cavalier Daily.
  43. ^ Locklear, Robert (November 14, 2022). "'Get weapons of war off America's streets:' Bidens release statement after UVA shooting". WSET. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  44. ^ Alvarez-Werts, Jane (November 14, 2022). "Reaction to deadly shooting on the campus of UVA". WAVY.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  45. ^ Bromberg, Nick (April 27, 2023). "NFL pays tribute to 3 Virginia players killed in November shooting before NFL draft". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
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