A former University of Virginia football player suspected of killing three football players and injuring two other students on campus late Sunday night is in custody after a manhunt in Charlottesville, Virginia, police confirmed Monday.
At a press conference Monday, University of Virginia President Jim Ryan said three Cavaliers football players were killed: junior catcher Lavell Davis Jr. of Dorchester, South Carolina, junior catcher Devin Chandler of Huntersville, North Carolina, and junior defender D’Sean Perry of Miami.
According to authorities, the suspect in the shooting, identified as Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., was apprehended “without incident” just before 11 a.m. in Henrico County, Virginia. Tim Longo, chief of police at the University of Virginia, said Jones, 22, had been arrested and charged with three second-degree murders and three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a crime.
Jones was included as the newest man on the 2018 team’s roster, and his resume noted that he had previously played at Petersburg High School and Varina High School in Virginia.
Ryan said two more students were shot and hospitalized; one was in good condition and one was in critical condition. Ryan didn’t identify the other students.
One of the injured students is Junior, who returned Mike Hollins, his father told The Washington Post. Michael Hollin Sr. told The Post that his son is in “stable” condition after being shot in the back.
“The doctors said he would recover,” Hollins said. be in the paper. “It was said that he is doing exceptionally well due to his age and physical condition.”
“Mike is a fighter — and he’s showing it,” Hollins’ mother Brenda Hollins told The Associated Press. “We have great doctors working with him. And above all, we have the grace of God and the hands of God on him.”
Ryan said the shooting took place on a charter bus after the students returned to campus from a field trip. He called the incident “a sad, shocking and tragic day for the university community.”
“I want to say how sorry I am for the victims and their family and friends,” Ryan said.
Virginia football coach Tony Elliott said in a statement that his team experienced “terror and heartache.”
“I can’t find words that express the destruction and pain that our team is experiencing today after the tragic events that led to the deaths of Lavel, D’Sena and Devin last night, as well as others who were injured,” coach Tony Elliott said in his statement. “They were incredible young people with huge aspirations and extremely bright future. Our hearts fear for their families, classmates and friends. These precious young men were called too early. We are all lucky that they are part of our lives. They touched us, inspired us, and worked incredibly hard as representatives of our program, university, and community. Rest in peace, young men.”
The village was filmed late Monday morning after the University of Virginia was closed and classes were canceled as Jones’ “deep search” was completed. Charlottesville schools also canceled classes for more than 4,000 local students.
“It’s an incredibly sad day for our community,” Ryan said. “The whole university community mourns this morning. My heart was broken for the victims and their families, and for all who knew and loved them. They are all in my prayers. When I see our students, I see my children. I can’t imagine anything worse for my parents than losing a child. Please know that we will do our best to honor their lives and will soon gather together as a community to mourn these losses.”
