CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Police at the University of Virginia has taken the suspect of an on-campus shooting into custody.
UVA UPDATE: Police have the suspect in custody. This is the final alert message.
— UVA Emergency Management (@UVA_EM) November 14, 2022
Police have identified the suspect as UVA student Christopher Darnell Jones. In a press conference, authorities did not disclose where he was found, but said he was taken into custody off-campus.
The University’s Chief of Police, Timothy Longo, Sr., said during a press conference Monday that Jones came to the attention of the school’s threat assessment team after they had learned in September that he told someone he owned a gun.
The chief said the comment was not related to any threat.
He said the threat assessment team made efforts to contact Jones and also interviewed his roommate who said they did not see Jones with a gun.
Longo also said Jones was at the center of a previous incident involving a concealed weapon violation that happened in February 2021 away from campus.
Longo said as a student, Jones was required to report the case to the school, but never did.
The university filed administrative charges for that incident, but the case was still pending at the time of the shooting.
The victims were identified as Devin Chandler, a junior whose mother lives in Virginia Beach; Lavel Davis Jr., a junior from Dorchester, South Carolina; and D'Sean Perry, a 4th-year student from Miami, Florida.
The two wounded victims have not been publicly identified yet.
According to the Twitter page of the University of Virginia Police Department, the shooting was initially reported on Culbreth Road around 10:30 p.m. Sunday.
UPDATE: 1 SUSPECT IS AT LARGE, CONSIDERED ARMED & DANGEROUS. CONTINUE TO SHELTER IN PLACE. REACH OUT TO FRIENDS & FAMILY TO ADVISE OF YOUR STATUS.
— UVA Emergency Management (@UVA_EM) November 14, 2022
At 10:42, police tweeted "ACTIVE ATTACKER firearm reported in area of Culbreth Road. RUN HIDE FIGHT"
UVA Alert: ACTIVE ATTACKER firearm reported in area of Culbreth Road. RUN HIDE FIGHT
— UVA Police Department (@UVAPolice) November 14, 2022
On Monday at 4:34 a.m., police tweeted an update stating that three people were killed in the shooting and two additional people were injured.
Update: UPD reported shooting resulted in 3 fatalities. 2 add'l victims are injured. Refer to UVA email and social media for more information. Shelter in place.
— UVA Police Department (@UVAPolice) November 14, 2022
In a letter shared on social media Monday morning, UVA President Jim Ryan said the university is "working closely with the families of the victims."
“This is a message any leader hopes never to have to send, and I am devastated that this violence has visited the University of Virginia," said Ryan. “This is a traumatic incident for everyone in our community and we have cancelled classes for today.”
The University of Virginia Department of Emergency Management set up an emergency hotline. Family and friends with questions should call 877-685-4836.
This is a developing story. Stay with WTKR for the latest information.
