Former University of Virginia student Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. pleaded guilty to first-degree murder this week in the shooting deaths of three UVA football players. The victims, Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry, and Devin Chandler, were all members of the UVA Cavaliers football team. Another team member, Mike Hollins, and a student named Marlee Morgan were also injured in the shooting. Jones had been scheduled to stand trial in January but entered a plea agreement with prosecutors. The sentencing hearing is set for February 4 and is expected to last for four days.
The shooting occurred on a charter bus as students returned to campus after a school trip, prompting a 12-hour lockdown of the Charlottesville campus until Jones was captured. Jones authored a text message to an adult mentor shortly before the shooting indicating his intentions. Authorities have not released details on the motive behind the shooting. University President Jim Ryan expressed sorrow for the victims and their families, calling Jones’ guilty plea a step in the painful journey for the community.
In response to the shooting, the university agreed to pay $9 million in a settlement to the victims and their families. Questions have been raised about the school’s safety policies and procedures, as Jones was previously on the radar of the university’s threat-assessment team. The guilty plea by Jones represents some closure for the community, but the grief over the loss of the three football players and injuries suffered by others on the bus lingers.
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