In a somber chapter for the University of Virginia (UVA), Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024, to the fatal 2022 shooting of three football players in 2022. Jones, 25, admitted to three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated malicious wounding. His actions, which occurred aboard a charter bus returning to campus, shocked the university community and left a deep scar on the lives of the victims’ families and friends.
The Tragic Day of the Shooting
Jones, a former UVA student, methodically carried out the attack on November 13, 2022, targeting members of the university’s football team, including Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry, and Devin Chandler, who were tragically killed. The shooting, which also wounded two others, prompted a campus-wide lockdown as authorities hunted for Jones, who had previously shown signs of distress. In the hours before the attack, Jones texted an adult mentor saying, “tonight I’m either going to hell or jail. I’m sorry.”
The investigation revealed that Jones and the victims had no prior personal relationship, and a witness described how Jones specifically targeted the football players. Despite his erratic behavior and red flags that were reported to the university, the tragedy unfolded, leaving UVA grappling with a painful loss. Jones’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 2024, as the families of the victims continue to seek justice and closure.
