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

Christopher Darnell Jones Sr told NBC12 that he could not believe his son was the alleged gunman in the shooting at UVA on Sunday.

“He came to the house. He did his laundry, we sat and talked, and he seemed like he was doing really well,” Mr Jones Sr recounted to the network.

He continued: “When we finally had a chance to talk, he said there were some people there who were giving him a hard time, but he still was upbeat, and he was positive. I don’t know what happened between then and now to cause this to happen.”

UVA Police said on Monday that Mr Jones Jr had been involved in a hazing investigation that was later dropped because witnesses refused to cooperate. It is unclear whether he was accused of hazing or was believed to be a hazing victim.

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. One of the surviving victims remains in critical condition while the other is in good condition, authorities said on Monday.

The suspect, 22-year-old Christopher Darnell Jones, is also a student at the university and was on the Virginia Cavaliers team roster in 2018, according to a profile on the team’s website – however, he did not appear in any games that year.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

In a 2018 profile from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, then-18-year-old Christopher Darnell Jones described brushes of fights he’d get into with his peers that would sometimes lead to suspensions.

He admitted that most of those altercations stemmed from kids seeming surprised that a “kid from the projects” was constantly raising his hand to answer questions.

“I would get upset because my intelligence was being insulted. Kids would pick on me — ‘Why did you do that? Why did you answer that question?’” Mr Jones told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “And in that world, disrespect means you should fight.”

Mentors throughout Mr Jones’ high school years provided guidance, with some confiding to the news outlet that they would take him out to restaurants for meals or buy him new clothes when they noticed him wearing the same outfit days in a row.

“I think he had more anger when I first met him,” said one mentor, Xavier Richardson, interviewed for the article. “He always had strong goals. He was ambitious, but his anger simply got in the way,” Mr Richardson said, who had met the teen in the 11th grade.

The Independent’s Johanna Chisholm has the story:

Christopher Darnell Jones, 22, is also a student at the university and was on the Virginia Cavaliers team roster in 2018, according to a profile on the team’s website.

He was no longer affiliated with the team, UVA officials said on Monday. The UVA bio lists the 22-year-old’s numerous accolades and honours during high school, describing him as a played linebacker and running back at Petersburg High School who “earned honorable mention all-conference honors as a senior”.

He spent his first three years of high school at Varina High School “where he earned honorable mention all-conference as a freshman and second-team accolades as a sophomore and junior”, the bio says.

Mr Jones was also a member of the National Honor Society and was named Student of the Year as a freshman and sophomore at the high school.

The 22-year-old had been hailed as something of a success story after overcoming a troubled childhood to become a model student.

The Independent’s Rachel Sharp has the story:

Police identified the suspect in the shooting near a parking garage on the main campus on Sunday night as student and former football player Christoper Darnell Jones, 22.

UVA Police Chief Timothy Longo revealed on Monday that a UVA multidisciplinary threat assessment team launched an investigation after receiving reports that Mr Jones made comments about owning a gun to an individual unaffiliated with the university.

Mr Longo said that Mr Jones had not made threats at the time, but simply mentioned he had a firearm.

“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,” Mr 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.”

The Independent’s Andrea Blanco has more details:

During a press conference on Tuesday, UVA Head Coach Tony Elliott said that the team was mourning the loss of the three football players killed in the shooting on Sunday.

“Feels like it’s a nightmare, to be honest with you, and I’m ready for somebody to pinch me and wake me up,” Mr Elliot said. “I don’t even know how long it’s been since it happened and the minutes can’t go fast enough.”

Mr Elliot said he had to explain to his 9-year-old son that the players, who the little boy considered to be his friends, had died, CBS reported.

One of the two surviving victims in the shooting has since been discharged, while another remains in the hospital in critical condition.

In a 2018 profile from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Virginia newspaper described how Christopher Darnell Jones grew up in Essex Village and Mosby Court housing complexes in Richmond, the latter being one of seven public housing communities located in east Richmond.

In that same article, Mr Jones was described as being a smart and quiet child by his grandmother, known to him and his siblings as “Grannie”.

“I lift him up more in prayer because I can see the hand of God on him,” said his “Grannie,” Mary Jones in the news article. “He was quiet. Even in school, quiet. His sisters and his brothers would tease. But he was smart. He’s destined for more.”

The Independent’s Johanna Chisholm has the story:

UVA shooting suspect Christopher Darnell Jones will appear in court on Wednesday on a slew of charges over Sunday night’s attack.

Mr Jones, 22, will make an initial court appearance today on charges of second-degree murder and using a handgun in the commission of a felony.

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr, the suspected gunman in the University of Virginia shooting that left three students dead, is set to appear at Albemarle General District Court at 9am local time, where he faces three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of firearm use in commission of felony.

In his arraignment, the accused gunman is expected to appear in court via video conference call from Albermarle Charlottesville Regional Jail, WSET reported.

He’s being charged with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony.

Court documents revealed by CBS 6, ahead of Christopher Darnell Jones’ arraignment, shows that the 22-year-old suspected gunman in Sunday night’s shooting is now facing five counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, three second-degree murder charges and two malicious wounding charges.

The local news station also confirmed that prosecutors have named Marlee Morgan as the fifth victim in Sunday night’s shooting on UVA Grounds.