UVA shooting suspect’s father says he was ‘paranoid’ before campus attack
‘I don’t know what happened to cause all of this,’ the alleged shooter’s father says
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Christopher Darnell Jones Sr, the father of 22-year-old University of Virginia mass shooting suspect Christopher Darnell Jones, has spoken out after his son’s arrest, saying he seemed "paranoid" ahead of the attack.
On Sunday, Mr Jones allegedly shot at a bus filled with University of Virginia football players on their way back from a field trip, killing three.
Police searched for Mr Jones for more than 12 hours before taking him into custody.
His father told NBC12 that he was still adjusting to his son’s alleged actions and arrest.
"I can’t believe it was him," he said. "I still can’t believe it now."
US Marshalls apprehended Mr Jones at his mother’s home around 10am on Monday, but did not find him at the house.
Images from the raid showed Mr Jones’ mother standing inside crying with her children. She told the broadcaster that he seemed normal when they spoke on Sunday.
She said she tried to call him at the time of the shooting but could not reach him.
Mr Jones Sr said he last spoke with son a month ago, and described him as "upbeat" and "positive."
“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 said. “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.”
He did note, however, that something seemed off in their most recent discussion.
“He had some problems the last time I talked to him. He said some people were picking on him or whatever, he didn’t know how to handle it and I told him just go to school, don’t pay it any mind” the father said. “He was really paranoid when I talked to him about something, but he wouldn’t tell me everything. He was a very sensitive young man.”
Mr Jones Sr said it would be some time before he could come to grips with what happened.
“What happened? Why did it have to get this far? He could’ve called me,” he said. “I don’t know why he didn’t call me Saturday. If he had called me Saturday, I think maybe I could have talked him out of some things, maybe, hopefully."
He told the outlet he wants to speak with his son and offered an apology to the families affected by the man’s alleged actions.
“I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry on his behalf, and I apologise. He’s not a bad kid. He really isn’t,” Mr Jones Sr. said. “I just don’t know what happened. I wasn’t there. I don’t know what happened to cause all of this.”