CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, Nov. 14 (UPI) — Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., the man suspected of a mass shooting at the University of Virginia late Sunday, was arrested and charged with murder Monday — hours after he went on the run.
Jones, 22, allegedly shot three people dead and injured two others after opening fire on the Charlottesville, Va., campus around 10:30 p.m. Sunday — sparking a massive manhunt.
Word that Jones was in custody came during a live press conference with U-Va Police Chief Timothy J. Longo struggling momentarily to regain his composure, before finally uttering “Thank God.”
It was not immediately clear where Jones was arrested.
Jones was listed on the school’s athletics website as a freshman member of the 2018 football team, and was considered to be “armed and dangerous” before his arrest.
The victims who died were identified by police during a Monday morning press conference as Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis and D’Sean Perry — who were all members of the school’s football team.
The victims who were injured have not been identified by police but one was named as Michael Hollins Jr., a 21-year-old junior running back for UVA, by the Washington Post.
Police have also not revealed a motive for the attack.
On Sunday, police had ordered students and the Charlottesville community to shelter in place overnight, and also warned anyone who encountered Jones to call 911 and not try to confront him.
Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies descended on the Charlottesville area and set up a perimeter in search of the suspect, while a helicopter team with the Virginia State Police took to the air.
Jones was dressed in a burgundy-colored jacket, jeans and red shoes. He had last been seen driving a black SUV with Virginia plates TWX3580, police said.
Meanwhile, university President Jim Ryan expressed grief about the situation before making the decision to cancel classes on Monday.
“I am heartbroken to report that the shooting has resulted in three fatalities,” Ryan wrote in a tweet. “This is a message any leader hopes never to have to send, and I am devastated that this violence has visited the University of Virginia.”
Ryan said the two who survived the shooting were receiving medical care, but he stopped short of naming the victims until he could meet with their families.
Witnesses were being urged to contact police to help them piece together what happened.
The scene was still active hours after the gunfire ended, with school administrators sending updates to students and faculty throughout the night and urging everyone to remain in lockdown.
