UVA Shooting Shock: Three Football Legends Gone, One Suspect in Custody
What Happened?
In a tragic night at the University of Virginia, a 22‑year‑old student named Christopher Darnell Jones allegedly opened fire on a campus bus that was full of classmates returning from a field trip. The shooting took place at about 10:30 pm Sunday (0330 GMT Monday), on a campus that hosted roughly 25,000 students.
Within minutes of the chaos, university officials tweeted a frantic “RUN HIDE FIGHT” message to keep everyone safe. Despite the alerts, the campus remained on high alert while officers launched an intensive search for Jones.
The Victims
- Devin Chandler – Died on the scene.
- D’Sean Perry – Also perished at the spot.
- Lavel Davis – Fatally wounded, later succumbed in a hospital.
Two other students were injured: one is reportedly in good shape, while the other’s situation is critical, according to Univ. Police Chief Tim Longo.
Suspect Details
Darnell Jones was caught off‑campus and now faces three counts of second‑degree murder plus three felony shooting charges. While authorities didn’t disclose the exact method of his arrest, his hand was on a handgun, as mentioned by Longo.
Final Thoughts
From a triumphant evening on the baseball field to a bleak, frightening night, the campus is still reeling. The beloved Jefferson School has lost three future stars—devastating for the team, for the university, and for the entire community. Let’s keep cheering them on from wherever we are.
‘Heartbroken’
When a Talking‑About‑Gun Goes Wrong: Virginia’s Rough Day on Campus
Meet Jones: The Mascot Who Became a Mystery
- Jones, once a star on a high‑school football squad in 2018, caught the eye of the University of Virginia’s threat‑assessment squad in late summer of 2022.
- The university’s Office of Student Affairs flagged a slip‑up: a shout from Jones—“I’ve got a gun”—to someone outside the campus. No threat was ever made, just a salty comment.
- Talks with the supposed gun owner turned up empty. Jones’ roommate swore he’d never seen a weapon, and the original quote never delivered evidence. With witnesses unwilling to talk, the probe was shuttered.
Ryan’s Emotional Blast
Just hours after the tragic shooting, Ryan posted a social‑media note that read pretty simple but packed a punch: “I am heart‑broken. Today, all classes are cancelled.” A note, he added, that most leaders wish they’d never have to draft.
Why Any College Needs to Care About This
- Every campus shooting fuels a titanic debate: should the Second Amendment be watered down against the rising tide of gun crime? The question is louder than ever.
- The southwest corner of Virginia remembers 2007 with the Tech tragedy in Blacksburg—33 dead, 23 injured, and the deadliest mass shooting on a U.S. college floor.
- Today’s Washington‑D.C.‑based UVA tragedy is the latest brutal reminder that campus safety is not a soup that can be served and forgotten.
In the End: A Call to Action
When a student, a threat, and a campus collide in the wrong mix, the result is a tragedy so deep a university again finds itself taking a stand, both for its students and for the future of the nation’s schools. It’s a reminder to us all: listen, investigate, act, and keep the promise that no one should be scared to walk into class.
