CNN, WWBT, WVIR, WJLA, WTVR
By Steve Almasy, Theresa Waldrop and Dakin Andone, CNN
The 22-year-old College of Virginia pupil suspected of killing three soccer gamers and injuring two different folks He was going through college disciplinary motion after UVA officers realized he didn’t disclose his conviction final 12 months on a misdemeanor hid weapons cost, a college spokesman says.
Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a former soccer participant, faces three counts of second-degree homicide and three counts of use of a handgun within the fee of a felony, UVA Police Chief Tim Longo stated Monday.
The victims had simply returned from a college subject journey Sunday night time once they have been shot close to a college bus on the Charlottesville campus, authorities stated.
Longo acknowledged on the time that campus authorities knew Jones earlier than the taking pictures. Now, with the suspect in custody, consideration has turned to the college’s earlier dealings with him, together with an investigation this fall into feedback he made about having a gun.
In September, whereas UVA officers have been “reviewing a possible hazing situation,” they “heard from a pupil” that Jones “made a remark to him about possession of a weapon,” UVA spokesman Brian Coy stated. in a press release to CNN on Tuesday (Longo beforehand stated the particular person reporting the remark was not affiliated with the college).
The coed didn’t see the weapon and the remark was not made along side a menace. UVA investigators additionally spoke with Jones’ roommate, who “gave no indication of the presence of weapons,” the assertion stated.
However throughout the investigation, UVA realized that Jones was convicted in 2021 of a misdemeanor hid weapons violation and obtained a 12-month suspended sentence and a small advantageous, in accordance with Coy’s assertion.
Jones didn’t report the case to college officers as required, Longo stated Monday.
UVA officers sought extra details about the declare that Jones had a weapon and his misdemeanor conviction, in accordance with the assertion, however Jones “repeatedly refused to cooperate.” On October 27, UVA’s menace evaluation staff “escalated his case for disciplinary motion,” the assertion stated.
Suspect’s father says son was ‘actually paranoid’
Jones was taken into custody Monday afternoon in Henrico County, about 80 miles east of Charlottesville, authorities stated. His arrest ended an hour-long manhunt that led to an in a single day lockdown on the UVA campus, with about 500 folks sheltering in lecture rooms and libraries, Longo stated.
These killed have been Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry, college president Jim Ryan stated.
One of many two injured college students is junior working again Michael Hollins, in accordance with Andrew Martin, the top soccer coach at College Lab Faculty in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the place Hollins beforehand performed.
CNN has reached out to Hollins’ household however has not heard again.
In 2018, Jones was a freshman working again however didn’t play in any video games, in accordance with his bio on the athletic division’s web site. A college spokesman stated he joined the staff, however an previous harm prevented him from training and he underwent rehabilitation and remedy. It was his solely season as a part of the staff.
Authorities don’t totally perceive Jones’ attainable motive, Ryan stated.
His father, Chris Jones Sr., instructed him WTVR, CNN affiliate that his son was “actually paranoid… about one thing. He would not inform me every part.”
Some folks have been bothering him and Jones Jr. stated he did not know how one can deal with it, the daddy instructed WTKR a couple of dialog they’d a month in the past when his son visited. He stated he suggested his son to only go to class and ignore them.
The daddy apologized for his son’s alleged actions and stated he could not imagine it was him when police broke the information.
Jones is from Petersburg, about 24 miles south of Richmond. He went to Varina Excessive Faculty in Henrico County, about half-hour from Petersburg, for 3 years, the place he was a soccer star, a member of the Nationwide Honor Society, president of the Key Membership, and pupil of the 12 months as a varsity pupil. first and second 12 months. , in accordance with the UVA soccer web site.
He performed his last season at Petersburg Excessive Faculty the place he obtained honorable point out all-conference working again and linebacker.
The CNN Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable Information Community, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery firm. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Isabelle Chapman, Michelle Watson and Tina Burnside contributed to this report.