UVA Shooting: 3 Football Players Killed, 2 Students Wounded & Suspect In Custody

A University of Virginia student is suspected of killing three of the school's football players in a shooting Sunday night, the school's president said Monday. The suspect, identified by authorities as student Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., was in custody, authorities announced Monday.

The deceased victims were identified as Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry, UVA President Jim Ryan said during a press conference. Two other students were wounded in the shooting and were receiving treatment.

Police released the photo of Jones below, from the university's athletics website, where he was listed as a member of the UVA football team in 2018, when he was a freshman.

Students and staff were warned to shelter in place late Sunday night after a report that shots had been fired on the campus. The university's emergency management issued an alert on Twitter at 10:42 p.m. of an "active attacker firearm." Late Monday morning, the shelter-in-place order was lifted after a "thorough search" on and around the campus, police said.

"There has been a shooting on Culbreth Road and the suspect is at large and considered armed and dangerous," Ryan said in a tweet.

Ryan later sent out the letter with the message to the university community, saying he was "heartbroken to report that the shooting has resulted in three fatalities," with two others being hospitalized and treated for unspecified wounds.

The UVA Police Department also posted a notice online saying multiple police agencies were searching for a suspect who was considered "armed and dangerous."

Ryan said in his Monday morning letter that only designated essential staff should come to work.

A UVA student who was in her dormitory room near Culbreth Road said she heard six shots fired, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

Virginia's elected leaders reacted to the shooting on social media.

"This morning, Suzanne and I are praying for the UVA community," Gov. Glenn Youngkin said on Twitter, referring to his wife, Suzanne Youngkin.

"Heartbroken to hear of another Virginia community devastated by gun violence," Sen. Tim Kaine said in a tweet. "Praying for the UVA community and closely monitoring the situation."