A former University of Virginia football player is now in custody for allegedly shooting and killing three current football players on campus. Two other students were wounded and are currently being treated, officials announced. The motive has not been determined, and an investigation is ongoing.
Shortly after midnight on Nov. 14, the UVA Police Department announced it was looking for Christopher Jones. Jones was wanted for the shooting deaths of Virginia wide receivers Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr., and defensive end D’Sean Perry.
https://twitter.com/UVAPolice/status/1592028905804009472?s=20&t=RJwQ_Zs2ari87OT774Hh4Q
Chandler was a junior at Virginia after transferring from Wisconsin. He appeared in 10 games with the Badgers.
SIGNED ✍️
Big time playmaker at WR coming in from NC. Join us in welcoming @devinkchandler to our UVA family 🔸⚔️🔹#GoHoos | #Hoos22 pic.twitter.com/uBo4ybjMf9
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) December 15, 2021
Davis was also a junior. As a freshman in 2020, he was one of the nation’s top freshmen at the position, ranking seventh nationally with 515 receiving yards, and fifth in the nation among freshmen with five receiving touchdowns. This season, he’s started six of the team’s first seven games.
𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 @LDJxlll 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙩!#GoHoos⚔️ pic.twitter.com/yRiMVIPQyW
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) October 12, 2022
Perry was a junior as well. On Nov. 12, he made two tackles against Pittsburgh in his final game. In 2020, he returned an interception back 84 yards for a touchdown, the second-longest interception returned for a touchdown by a linebacker in the school’s history.
Rest In Peace, D’Sean Perry. pic.twitter.com/wHDR50Rofc
— GO ‘CANES! (@83_87_89_91_01) November 14, 2022
According to the Virginia athletics website, Jones was on the football team in 2018, but did not appear in any games.
The school was placed on lockdown for 10 hours.
just a heads up for those who don’t know!
the university of virginia has been on lockdown for 9! hours! people have been forced to shelter in libraries, gyms, other buildings and dorms…these people don’t have food, some people can’t go to the bathroom…
— amanda (@mandystxt) November 14, 2022
“This is an unimaginably sad day for our community,” said James Ryan, UVA’s president, during a press conference on Nov. 14. “The entire university community is grieving this morning. My heart is broken for the victims, their families and for all of those who knew and loved them. They are all in my prayers.”
