University of Virginia President Jim Ryan said in a news conference Monday that three Cavaliers players were shot and killed: junior receiver LaVell Davis Jr. of Dorchester, South Carolina; junior receiver Devin Chandler of Huntersville, North Carolina; and Miami junior defensive end/linebacker D'Sean Perry.
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Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., the suspect in the shooting, has been arrested, authorities said. University of Virginia Police Chief Tim Longo said Jones was charged with second-degree murder and three counts of aggravated battery.
Jones is listed as a freshman running back on the team's 2018 roster, and his roster bio states that he played at Petersburg High School and Varina High School in Virginia.
Ryan said two other students were shot and hospitalized; He said that one is in a good condition and the other is in a serious condition. Ryan did not recognize the other students.
Ryan said the shooting happened after the students returned from a field trip on a charter bus. He called the incident "a sad, shocking and tragic day for the university community."
"I want to express my condolences to the family and friends of those who lost their lives," Ryan said.
Ryan said the students traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in Sunday's game as part of the class. Longo said the students were eating together and then "someone chose violence."
About 13 minutes into Monday's 20-minute news conference, Longo was interrupted by another law enforcement officer and told him that Jones had been taken into custody. After announcing his arrest, Longo was silent for a moment.
"I need a moment to thank God and catch my breath," Longo told reporters.
The UVA Police Department tweeted Monday morning that they are looking for Jones in connection with a shooting that occurred in a campus parking lot around 10:30 a.m. ET Sunday. The tweet included a photo of Jones used online for a Virginia football bio.
Ryan confirmed three people died and two others were injured at 4 am public address on Monday. "One of our students, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., is suspected in the shooting," Ryan wrote.
According to a tweet from the UVA Police Department at 10:33 a.m., a shelter-in-place order was lifted on the Virginia campus after a "thorough search" was conducted on campus.
Longo said at a press conference that the university had provided comments to the university's Multidisciplinary Threat Assessment Team in September about Jones having a gun on campus. Longo said the man, who is not affiliated with the university, never saw the gun.
"The comment that Mr. Jones had a gun was not accompanied by any threats," Longo said.
Longo said the student body contacted the person who reported what Jones said about the gun and tried to talk to Jones.
Jones' roommate said he never saw a gun on campus.
The university later learned that Jones was indicted on charges of carrying a concealed weapon outside of Charlottesville in February 2021. He was supposed to report the criminal charges to the university, but failed to do so. Longo said the university has filed administrative charges against Jones through a judicial review board, and the case is still pending.
"I feel it is important to share this information with you," Longo said at the press conference. "To let you know it was brought to our attention and to answer any questions you may have about it. I want you to hear it from me and not from anyone else."
Longo said there was also a dangerous investigation into Jones, but the case was closed because the witness would not cooperate with the case.
Davis has 16 catches for 371 yards and two touchdowns this season. As a freshman in 2020, he caught 20 passes for 515 yards and five TDs, averaging 25.8 yards. He missed the 2021 season with a knee injury that required surgery.
"Sad, sad news this morning," he said. "God took one of His most kind, humble and beloved soldiers from the battlefield last night. Please pray for our family in the passing of my cousin Lavelle Davis Jr."
Davis' father, Lavelle Davis Sr. "God, help me," he wrote in his Facebook post.
Perry has five tackles in three games this season, including two in Saturday's loss to Pitt. He returned a field goal 84-yards for a touchdown in his freshman year
