A former University of Virginia football player was being hunted and the school’s Charlottesville campus was on lockdown after he allegedly gunned down three people, including a current member of the team, and wounded two more late Sunday, authorities said.
The suspect was identified by police as Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. and was seen wearing a burgundy jacket with jeans and red shoes and driving a black 2001 Dodge Durango, according to police.
“Around 10:30 p.m. last night, there was a shooting on Grounds. One of our students, Christopher Darnell Jones, Jr., is suspected to have committed the shooting,” school President Jim Ryan wrote in an email to students and employees. “The suspect remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous.”
The UVA Police Department is looking for Christopher Darnell Jones regarding the shooting incident that occurred on the grounds of the University of Virginia. Call 911 if seen, do not approach. pic.twitter.com/mKcxF6ksxw
— UVA Police Department (@UVAPolice) November 14, 2022
Text messages went out to students warning them to shelter in place while the manhunt continued throughout the night. Monday classes were canceled and a state police helicopter flew over the grounds.
“I am on grounds like many of you; I am sheltering in place and in direct touch with University leadership and UPD,” the school’s vice president and chief student affairs officer Robyn Hadley told students in an email. “If you are not inside and safe, immediately seek safety.”
University officials did not immediately identify the victims or say if they were students, but one of those slain was reportedly D’Sean Perry, a Cavaliers linebacker who had played in Saturday’s loss to Pitt. Jones is a 5-foot, 9-inch, 195-pound running back from Petersburg, Va., who was listed as a freshman on the school’s athletic department web site in 2018.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin issued a statement about the shooting and the subsequent dragnet early Monday.
“This morning, Suzanne and I are praying for the UVA community,” Youngkin wrote. “Virginia State Police is fully coordinating with UVA police department and local authorities. Please shelter in place while the authorities work to locate the suspect.”
The Daily Wire does not name or otherwise identify mass shooters once they are captured or killed in order to deprive them of the notoriety they often crave.