What happened at University of Virginia? Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. allegedly kills 3 and leaves 2 injured on campus

A shooting at the University of Virginia killed three student athletes and injured two others on Sunday, November 13, 2022.

The suspected shooter, who happened to be a fellow student, was taken into custody less than 12 hours after the incident.

Police secure the crime scene (Image via Steve Halber)

University officials had issued a campus-wide lockdown following the event but lifted it hours later as soon as the suspect was taken into custody.

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. was named as the prime suspect in the case.

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University of Virginia students caught in a shooting rampage

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a former UVA football player, reportedly opened fire on a charter bus that had returned from a field trip to Washington D.C. Three students were killed, and two more were injured in the attack. The shooting took place in a campus parking structure at around 10:30 p.m.

Jones, who is 22 years old and a student at the University of Virginia, is facing three charges of second-degree murder. He is also facing three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony.

Police said on Sunday that the shooter was seen fleeing the scene of the crime wearing a burgundy jacket, blue jeans, and red shoes. He reportedly drove away in a black SUV with Virginia license plates.

Jones was arrested after an hours-long manhunt without incident at around 11 a.m., about 80 miles east of Charlottesville in Henrico County. He was pulled over while driving and then arrested, but police officers have not volunteered any information on the motive for the attack.

The victims of the dreadful crime were identified as Lavel Davis Jr., a wide receiver from Ridgeville, South Carolina, Devin Chandler, a wide receiver from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and D'Sean Perry, a linebacker from Miami, Florida. They were all junior members of the University of Virginia's football team.

The victims from L to R - Devin Chandler, D'Sean Perry, and Lavel Davis Jr (Image via University of Virginia)

The two who were injured but managed to survive are currently being treated at the UVA Medical Center.

University president Jim Ryan reported that while one of the injured victims is in good condition, the other is critical. Their identities have not been revealed.

UVA president James Ryan gets emotional as he announces the victims' names during a press conference (Image via Getty/Win McNamee)

In his statement, Ryan offered condolences to the family and friends of the victims and vowed to do all he could to support them. He said:

"My heart is broken for the victims and their families and all those who knew and loved them and they are all in my prayers. We will do everything we can to honor their lives and will come together soon as a community to mourn these losses."

Ryan also confirmed that classes and extracurricular activities will be canceled on Monday in light of the event. The school is also offering support services should anyone need them.

At least 68 shootings have unfurled on US school grounds just this year, with 15 on college campuses. The shooting at the University of Virginia joins 600 other mass shootings that took place in the country this year, averaging about four people being shot in each event, according to the Gun Violence Archive.