During a court hearing in Charlottesville on Wednesday, the accused student who allegedly killed three University of Virginia football players following a school excursion was not granted bail.
The Albemarle County prosecutor said that a witness claimed that defendant Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. shot Devin Chandler, one of the players, while Chandler was sound asleep.
Horrifying Details Released About Virginia Football Shooting
Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry, fellow UVA Cavaliers, also perished. In addition, Jones was found guilty of careless driving, hit-and-run, and a charge of carrying a concealed weapon in 2021, according to information shared during the court on Wednesday. For each offense, he was given suspended sentences.
Online records show that Jones is still detained at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. According to James Hingeley, the Commonwealth's Attorney for Albemarle County, Jones was assigned a public defender until his upcoming hearing in December, which will be a status hearing when it will be discussed if Jones has hired a private attorney.
According to a university official, Jones traveled to Washington, DC, on Sunday with other UVA students to watch a play. Authorities said that the 22-year-old opened fire on the bus as it was returning to the Charlottesville campus, killing Chandler, Davis, and Perry, CNN reported.
According to UVA Police Chief Timothy Longo Sr., Jones is accused with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of committing a felony with a firearm.
Additionally, he is charged with two counts of intentional wounding, each of which includes a firearm charge. According to Hingeley, two other people were hurt in the incident. The injured were Marlee Morgan and Michael Hollins.
According to UVA Health spokesperson Eric Swensen on Tuesday, one patient was in a critical condition, while the other had been released from the hospital. Swensen made no mention of either individual. Hollins' family said he is a junior running back for the university's football team, was intubated but otherwise stable Tuesday morning.
Ryan Lynch, a UVA student, told KYW-TV that Jones pushed one of the victims while she was on the bus where the shooting occurred. Lynch added, "Chris stood up and shoved Lavel."
He said something strange like, "You guys are always messing with me," after pushing him. It was quite strange because they didn't speak to him the entire journey. Lynch told KYW that "they simply kept coming, more and more rounds."
"We believed he would open fire on the entire busload." Lynch, meanwhile, said that "the gunman just kind of strolled or, like, skipped off the bus."
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Virginia Football Game Canceled in Wake of Tragic Shooting
The university announced on Wednesday that the Saturday football game had been canceled. The game versus Coastal Carolina was the season's last home game. The team's last game of the season, a showdown against Virginia Tech on November 26, is scheduled, but the university claimed the decision has not yet been made.
In the shooting on Sunday night, three players-Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D'Sean Perry-died. Michael Hollins, a fourth football player, was shot in the back and is presently receiving treatment; according to his father, he is anticipated to make a full recovery.
Per NY Times, Jones joined the squad as a walk-on in 2018 but did not participate in any games. Tony Elliott, the team's coach, stated during a press conference on Tuesday that his top concern was being with his players as they grieved.
They would determine jointly when they would return to the field, he added, adding that "I'm just trying to figure out, step by step, how to be strong for these young men."
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