A former University of Virginia football player suspected of killing three football players and wounding two other students on campus late Sunday night is in custody after a manhunt in Charlottesville, Virginia, police confirmed Monday.
During a news conference Monday, University of Virginia president Jim Ryan said three Cavaliers football players were shot and killed: junior receiver Lavel Davis Jr. of Dorchester, South Carolina; junior receiver Devin Chandler of Huntersville, North Carolina; and junior defensive end/linebacker D’Sean Perry of Miami.
Authorities said the suspect in the shooting, identified as Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., was apprehended “without incident” just before 11 a.m. in Henrico County, Virginia. University of Virginia police chief Tim Longo said Jones, 22, had been arrested and charged with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony.
Jones was listed as a freshman running back on the team’s 2018 roster, and his roster bio noted that he previously played at Petersburg High School and Varina High School in Virginia.
Ryan said two other students were shot and were hospitalized; he said one was in good condition and one is in critical condition. Ryan did not identify the other students.
One of the injured students is junior running back Mike Hollins, his father told The Washington Post. Michael Hollins Sr. told The Post that his son is in “stable” condition after being shot in the back.
“The doctors said he’s going to recover,” Hollins Sr. told the newspaper. “They said because of his age and physical condition, he’s doing exceptionally well.”
In a statement, Virginia football coach Tony Elliott said his team is experiencing “devastation and heartache.”
“I cannot find the words to express the devastation and heartache that our team is feeling today after the tragic events last night that resulted in the deaths of Lavel, D’Sean and Devin, and the others who were injured,” Elliott said in the statement. “These were incredible young men with huge aspirations and extremely bright futures. Our hearts ache for their families, their classmates and their friends. These precious young men were called away too soon. We are all fortunate to have them be a 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.”
Cavaliers athletic director Carla Williams also issued a statement and offered prayers for the families of the students.
“As a mother of three children, I ache for the parents and family members,” Williams said. “We lost three talented and bright young men. We will never see what their impact on the world would have been, but we will never forget their impact on us. I miss Lavel, D’Sean and Devin. I pray for peace, comfort and hope for their parents and loved ones. For their teammates, coaches and friends, I pray for strength and a peace that surpasses all understanding.”
Ryan said the students had traveled to Washington, D.C., on Sunday to attend a play as part of a class field trip. Longo said the students enjoyed a meal together and then “someone amongst them chose to do an act of violence.”
About 13 minutes into the 20-minute news conference Monday, Longo was interrupted by another law-enforcement official and told that Jones had been apprehended. After announcing the arrest, Longo paused briefly.
“I just need a moment to thank God and breathe a sigh of relief,” Longo told reporters.
Source-ESPN
