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

Christopher Darnell Jones’ 9am court appearance, which he will be screened in via video conference for, will not be televised, according to Albemarle General District Court.

The University of Virginia has cancelled its Saturday home football game as the school continues to deals with a shooting that killed three of the school’s football players, the Associated Press reported.

Saturday’s game against Coastal Carolina would’ve been the Virginia school’s last home game of the season.

The school added in a statement that a decision about the last match of the season on 26 November against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg has not been reached.

The suspected shooter in the University of Virginia mass shooting on Sunday, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr, made his first court appearance on Wednesday for an arraignment where a judge ruled that he was to be held with no bond, CBS 6 News reported.

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr targeted students who were returning from a field trip at the University of Virginia on Sunday night, a prosecutor claimed, citing a witness who saw the mass shooting unfold that left three student-athletes dead and two more injured.

According to the witness’s retelling, the prosecutor said during Jones’ first court appearance on Wednesday morning, they allegedly watched the 22-year-old target individuals on the bus, including one a victim who was asleep who they then watched slide to the floor.

“Prosecutor told judge that witness saw Jones shoot Devin Chandler in his sleep before he slid to the floor. Says witness saw Jones targeting specific people while shooting on bus,” reported WAVY News on Wednesday from inside the courtroom.

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr allegedly killed a student who was sound asleep on the bus where the mass shooting at the University of Virginia was carried out on Sunday, a prosecutor claimed during the 22-year-old’s arraignment on Wednesday.

Jim Hingeley, a prosecutor with Albemarle County, cited a witness statement during Wednesday’s hearing, where he described how an individual had seen Jones shoot a sleeping victim in what appeared to be a targeted act before their body slumped to the floor.

The Independent has more here in this developing story.

Devin Chandler, one of the three student-athletes killed on Sunday during a mass shooting at the University of Virginia, was allegedly shot by suspected gunman Christopher Darnell Jones Jr while he was asleep.

Prosecutor Jim Hingeley said in court on Wednesday that a witness told police that Chandler was shot and killed while sleeping on the bus, CBS 6 News reported.

Prosecutor Jim Hingeley said while addressing the media outside the Albemarle General District Court on Wednesday that he wouldn’t comment on the facts of the case in order to allow for a fair trial.

Mr Hingeley did offer a message to the victims and their families and friends, some of whom were anxiously waiting for a speedy recovery as they remained being treated for their injuries in hospital.

“We are all grieving and saddened and devastated by these events in our community,” said Mr Hingeley outside the Virginia courtroom.

“All of us in this community care for the victims and their families and wish for the speedy recovery of those who are being treated at the hospital and who were wounded.”

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr, appearing via video conference from Albemarle Detention Center, told the Albemarle General District Court that he intends to hire an attorney but will require two weeks to retain one, according to WAVY News.

In the meantime, the judge presiding over the Virginia courtroom hearing appointed a public defender for the 22-year-old.

Students, friends and community members who were mourning the deaths of three football players with the University of Virginia this week left memoribilia scattered across makeshift memorials for the young men who were fatally shot on Sunday night.

“Students are paying their respects to Lavel Davis Jr, Devin Chandler, and D’Sean Perry at Scott Stadium with flowers and letters,” tweeted WAVY News on Tuesday night, while sharing pictures of the scenes from on the ground of the memorials.

Fox 5 DC showed dozens of bouquets of flowers lining the entrace to the university’s gymnasium, where pictures of the UVA Cavaliers were postered onto the doors.

One of the two students who were shot and wounded Sunday night during a mass shooting at the University of Virginia was discharged from hospital on Tuesday, while the other victim remains in “serious condition”, officials said.

According to UVA Health public information officer Eric Swensen, one of the surviving victims is still being treated in hospital, but he was unable to disclose which of the two as health privacy laws prevent the sharing of private medical information.

Late Tuesday night, the fifth victim shot during the attack on the bus at the Charlottesville campus was identified as Marlee Morgan, while the fourth victim was earlier identified as UVA running back Mike Hollins.

Hollins was required to go through a second surgery on Tuesday after he was shot in the back, but a spokesperson for his family confirmed that his prognosis, at this point, was “positive”.

“He is up, he is aware, and the prognosis is positive,” said Joe Gipson, chief operating officer at Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, a law firm that Hollins’ mother, Brenda, works for and who is acting as their spokesperson.

The student-athlete was reportedly no longer on a ventilator, Mr Gipson said Tuesday.