The UVA shooting suspect is in custody after three Virginia football players killed

College of Virginia President James Ryan speaks at a press convention asserting the names of three victims of an in a single day capturing on the College of Virginia.

Three soccer gamers have been killed and two extra individuals have been injured following a capturing on the College of Virginia on late Sunday evening, campus police and college president Jim Ryan confirmed early Monday.

The suspected shooter, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., is in police custody after a manhunt that lasted greater than 12 hours and included a campus huge lockdown order.

Jones, who was a pupil on the college as of Monday morning, in addition to a former soccer participant, faces three prices of second-degree homicide and three counts of utilizing a handgun within the fee of a felony, UVA Police Chief Timothy Longo informed reporters throughout a press convention.

The capturing occurred round 10:30 p.m. ET on a constitution bus full of scholars getting back from a subject journey to see a play, the college president mentioned in a press convention.

Police say the three victims, who’re all juniors and members of UVA’s soccer group, have been discovered lifeless on the scene: Devin Chandler, a large receiver from Virginia Seaside, Va.; Lavel Davis, a large receiver from Dorchester, S.C.; and D’Sean Perry, a linebacker from Miami, Fla.

College officers haven’t but launched the names of two extra victims who’re being handled for accidents; one is in important situation.

College students and employees sheltered in place for roughly 12 hours

“That is an unimaginably unhappy day for our group,” Ryan mentioned. “Your entire college group is grieving this morning. My coronary heart is damaged for the victims and their households and for all who knew and liked them.”

Lessons and extra-curricular actions have been canceled Monday, and public transportation routes to campus have been suspended. Public faculties within the surrounding Albemarle County have been additionally closed for the day.

A campus-wide shelter-in-place order was lifted simply after 10:30 a.m. ET after an intensive search of the grounds.

Jones was apprehended “with out incident” in a suburb of Richmond, Va., roughly 76 miles southeast from the college, in accordance a press launch from the native police division.

UVA Police Chief Tim Longo mentioned Jones will likely be charged with three counts of second-degree homicide and three counts of utilizing a handgun to commit a felony.

Jones, who’s a pupil on the college, was listed on the college’s athletics web site as a soccer participant in 2018, however didn’t seem in any video games.

Longo mentioned Jones had beforehand come to the eye of campus police as a result of he’d been concerned in a hazing incident.

Police closed the investigation after witnesses refused to cooperate, Longo mentioned, however found Jones had violated a hid weapons rule whereas exterior town of Charlottesville in February 2021.

The Biden administration requires tighter gun management

Tributes to Chandler, Davis and Perry poured in on social media on Monday. UVA soccer gamers and coaches described shock, outrage and heartbreak whereas sharing pictures and tales of the boys.

Jack Hamilton, a UVA professor who mentioned Chandler and Davis have been each college students of his, described the previous as “an unbelievably good particular person, all the time an enormous smile, actually gregarious and humorous. A type of individuals who’s simply unattainable to not like.”

Davis went out of his approach to make associates with non-athletes and was well liked by lots of his fellow college students, Hamilton wrote.

White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a press release providing President Biden’s “deepest condolences” to the “numerous households, associates and neighbors grieving for these killed in addition to these injured on this mindless capturing.”

“We have to enact an assault weapons ban to get weapons of conflict off of America’s streets,” Pierre wrote in reference to a invoice that handed within the Home of Representatives this July however would not seem to face an opportunity of overcoming a filibuster within the Senate.

UVA officers had not but launched info on the kind of weapon utilized in Sunday’s capturing.

UVA is a minimum of the second college to report pupil deaths this weekend

On Sunday, police in Moscow, Idaho, mentioned that 4 College of Idaho college students have been discovered lifeless in a house close to the campus. Police investigating the incident have referred to as the deaths suspected homicides.

“The Moscow Police Division provides our heartfelt condolences to relations, associates and the Moscow group,” police mentioned in a press release.

Supply: kosu.org

In a press release, Virginia soccer coach Tony Elliott mentioned his group is experiencing “devastation and heartache.”

“I can’t discover the phrases to specific the devastation and heartache that our group is feeling in the present day after the tragic occasions final evening that resulted within the deaths of Lavel, D’Sean and Devin, and the others who have been injured,” Elliott mentioned within the assertion. “These have been unimaginable younger males with large aspirations and intensely brilliant futures. Our hearts ache for his or her households, their classmates and their associates. These treasured younger males have been referred to as away too quickly. We’re all lucky to have them be part of our lives. They touched us, impressed us and labored extremely exhausting as representatives of our program, college and group. Relaxation in peace, younger males.”

Cavaliers athletic director Carla Williams additionally issued a press release and provided prayers for the households of the scholars.

“As a mom of three youngsters, I ache for the dad and mom and relations,” Williams mentioned. “We misplaced three gifted and brilliant younger males. We are going to by no means see what their affect on the world would have been, however we’ll always remember their affect on us. I miss Lavel, D’Sean and Devin. I pray for peace, consolation and hope for his or her dad and mom and family members. For his or her teammates, coaches and associates, I pray for energy and a peace that surpasses all understanding.”

Ryan mentioned the scholars had traveled to Washington, D.C., on Sunday to attend a play as a part of a category subject journey. Longo mentioned the scholars loved a meal collectively after which “somebody amongst them selected to do an act of violence.”

About 13 minutes into the 20-minute information convention Monday, Longo was interrupted by one other law-enforcement official and informed that Jones had been apprehended. After asserting the arrest, Longo paused briefly.

“I simply want a second to thank God and breathe a sigh of aid,” Longo informed reporters.

Jones’ father, Chris Jones Sr., informed Richmond TV station WTVR he was in disbelief after getting a name from police on Monday.

“My coronary heart goes out to their households. I do not know what to say, besides I am sorry, on his behalf, and I apologize,” he mentioned.

The UVA Police Division had tweeted earlier Monday morning that it was searching for Jones relating to the capturing, which occurred in a parking storage on campus round 10:30 p.m. ET Sunday. The tweet included the identical {photograph} of Jones that was used for his Virginia soccer bio on-line.

Ryan confirmed in a message to the group at 4 a.m. ET Monday that three individuals have been killed and two others have been injured. Ryan wrote that “one in every of our college students, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., is suspected to have dedicated the capturing.”

At 10:33 a.m. ET, a shelter-in-place order was lifted on the Virginia campus, after a “thorough search on and round” the campus, in line with a tweet by the UVA Police Division.

Longo mentioned through the information convention that the college’s multi-disciplinary risk evaluation group in September was notified by somebody that Jones had made a remark about having a gun on campus. Longo mentioned the particular person, who was not affiliated with the college, had by no means seen the gun.

“The remark about Mr. Jones proudly owning a gun was not made together with any threats,” Longo mentioned.

Longo mentioned the workplace of pupil affairs contacted the one that reported Jones’ feedback in regards to the gun and tried to talk with Jones.

Jones’ roommate informed the college that he had not seen a weapon, Longo mentioned.

The college later discovered that Jones had been charged with misdemeanor hid weapons prices exterior Charlottesville in February 2021. He was required to report the legal prices to the college however failed to take action. Longo mentioned the college had taken administrative prices via the judiciary council in opposition to Jones and the case was nonetheless pending.

“I assumed it vital to share that info with you,” Longo mentioned through the information convention. “To let you already know that he had been referred to as to our consideration and to reply any questions you may need about that. I would like you to listen to that from me and never hear it from another person.”

Longo mentioned Jones was additionally the topic of a hazing investigation, however the case was closed as a result of witnesses wouldn’t cooperate with the method.

Davis had 16 catches for 371 yards and two touchdowns this season. As a freshman in 2020, he caught 20 passes for 515 yards and 5 TDs, averaging 25.8 yards per catch. He didn’t play through the 2021 season due to a knee damage that required surgical procedure.

“Saddening, saddening information this morning,” Newberry Faculty assistant coach Sean Lampkin, a cousin of Davis’, posted to Twitter on Monday. “God took one in every of his most form, humble, loving troopers off of the battlefield final evening. Please pray for my household as we’re devastated by the passing of my cousin Lavel Davis Jr.”

Mentioned Davis’ father, Lavel Davis Sr., in a Fb submit: “Lord please assist me.”

Perry had 5 tackles in three video games this season, together with two within the loss Saturday to Pitt. He had an 84-yard interception return for a landing throughout his freshman season in 2020.

Chandler had not appeared in a sport this season after transferring from Wisconsin. He caught two passes for 28 yards as a freshman and had a 59-yard kickoff return within the Duke’s Mayo Bowl for the Badgers in 2020.

“As soon as a badger, all the time a badger,” College of Wisconsin interim head coach Jim Leonhard posted to Twitter on Monday within the wake of Chandler’s loss of life. “He had an enduring affect on his teammates, even after he left UW, which is a testomony to the kind of particular person he was. His character was infectious and he was a pleasure to be round. Our group is hurting for him and his household.”

“Though we don’t but have a full understanding of the motive and circumstances surrounding these occasions, police are investigating as we converse,” Ryan mentioned through the information convention Monday.

“That is an unimaginably unhappy day for our group. Your entire college group is grieving this morning. My coronary heart is damaged for the victims and their households and for all those that knew and liked them, and they’re all in my prayers. As I’ve mentioned earlier than, once I see our college students, I see my very own youngsters, and I can’t think about something worse for a guardian than shedding a baby.”

Hundreds of Virginia college students and group members gathered Monday evening for a vigil on the South Garden of campus. After strolling to the middle of the garden collectively and sitting down for a 15-minute second of silence, a gaggle of scholars that included Cavaliers soccer gamers walked to the entrance of the group. Everybody else stood and pointed their candles and cell telephones towards the group, which stood on the steps of Outdated Cabell Corridor.

The boys’s basketball matchup Monday between Northern Iowa and Virginia was canceled, as have been lessons and different tutorial actions scheduled for Tuesday.

The Virginia Tech ladies’s basketball group confirmed assist for Virginia by sporting warm-up shirts honoring the victims of Sunday’s capturing.

Supply: ESPN