Suspect in custody in University of Virginia shooting that left 3 members of football team dead - NBC News

A pupil suspected successful a shooting astatine the University of Virginia that near 3 members of the shot squad dormant and 2 others injured is successful custody, officials announced Monday.

University of Virginia Police Chief Timothy Longo said authorities secured an apprehension warrant charging Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. with 3 counts of second-degree execution and 3 counts of utilizing a handgun successful the alleged committee of a felony pursuing the deaths of D’Sean Perry, Devin Chandler and Lavel Davis Jr.

The identities of the 2 injured victims hospitalized were not shared during a quality conference. One is successful bully information and the different is successful captious condition, UVA President Jim Ryan said.

Jones, 22, was taken into custody by Henrico County constabulary successful Richmond, Virginia, “without incident” conscionable earlier 11 a.m., astir 75 miles southeast of the UVA campus, the department said. 

He was a erstwhile subordinate of the school’s shot team. He was listed connected the 2018 roster shared connected the authoritative website of the Virginia Cavaliers, but did not look connected the roster successful immoderate pursuing seasons.

Shooting unfolded connected schoolhouse autobus returning from seeing a play

Gunfire was initially reported astatine a parking store connected Culbreth Road, adjacent the school's play building, astir 10:30 p.m. Sunday, the UVA Office of Emergency Management said successful a tweet.

Ryan said successful a quality league Monday greeting that the shooting unfolded connected a schoolhouse autobus afloat of students returning from a tract trip. The travel was to spot a play successful Washington, D.C., and was associated with a class, officials said.

Ryan identified the victims arsenic Perry, a inferior from Miami; Chandler, a second-year pupil from Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Davis Jr., a third-year pupil from South Carolina. 

A manhunt was launched for the fishy and students were issued warnings earlier to “RUN HIDE FIGHT” and structure successful place. A hunt was conducted connected and astir the field grounds aboriginal Monday, the university’s exigency absorption bureau said, involving aggregate agencies, including a Virginia State Police helicopter.

The structure successful spot bid was lifted astir 10:30 a.m. aft “a thorough hunt connected and around” the grounds.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said aboriginal Monday it was assisting successful the investigation.

A autobus idles down constabulary portion during an progressive shooter concern astatine the University of Virginia successful Charlottesville, Va., connected Monday.Mike Kropf / The Daily Progress via AP

Ryan said successful an email to students: “I americium heartbroken to study that the shooting has resulted successful 3 fatalities.”

“This is simply a connection immoderate person hopes ne'er to person to send, and I americium devastated that this unit has visited the University of Virginia,” helium said. He said classes would beryllium canceled for Monday, with lone designated indispensable employees expected to study to work.

Suspect was erstwhile connected shot team, schoolhouse was told that helium had a gun

During the search, the UVA Police Department warned radical to not attack the suspect, who was considered "armed and dangerous," and shared a photo of Jones.

The aforesaid photograph appears connected a profile for Jones connected the Virginia Cavaliers 2018 shot roster. The illustration says helium did not look successful immoderate games that year.

The fishy was described arsenic past seen wearing a burgundy jacket, bluish jeans and reddish shoes, the university's exigency absorption bureau said, adding that helium could beryllium driving a achromatic SUV.

He was taken into custody disconnected campus, but details regarding wherever were not shared.

His mother, who is identified successful nationalist records arsenic Margo Ellis, told NBC News successful a telephone telephone Monday that her lad has lived with his grandma since helium was 16, and that she didn’t cognize of his whereabouts oregon what mightiness person contributed to the shooting. 

Officials explained Monday that Jones had landed connected the radar of schoolhouse authorities successful the past years.

Longo said Monday that successful September, the UVA Office of Student Affairs received accusation that Jones had made a remark astir possessing a weapon to a idiosyncratic unaffiliated with the university. The bureau flagged that to a multidisciplinary menace appraisal squad affiliated with UVA.

Longo said the remark astir Jones owning a weapon was “not made successful conjunction with immoderate threats.”

The bureau followed up with the idiosyncratic who flagged the interest and with Jones’ roommate who did not study seeing the weapon. It's not wide however the substance was resolved.

The menace appraisal squad besides looked into Jones successful narration with a hazing investigation, a lawsuit that was yet closed due to the fact that witnesses would not cooperate with the process, Longo said. It's not wide erstwhile the alleged hazing incidental took place.

Longo said the team’s probe besides led them to larn astir a transgression incidental involving Jones successful February 2021 involving a concealed limb usurpation extracurricular Charlottesville. Jones did not study the incidental to the schoolhouse arsenic per protocol.

“The assemblage has taken due administrative charges done the university’s judiciary council, and that substance is inactive pending adjudication,” Longo said.

The victims: Football players for the Virginia Cavaliers

Davis Jr., 20, was a wide receiver on the Virginia Cavaliers’ existent roster. 

He was acceptable to postgraduate successful December and was a beloved archetypal kid and a "role model" to his younger member and sister, his father, Thaddeus Lavel Davis, told NBC News. 

The begetter said he's "heartbroken."

Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Lavel Davis Jr. walks disconnected the tract astatine the decision of the assemblage shot crippled Sept. 10 astatine Memorial Stadium successful Champaign, Ill.Michael Allio / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

“I mislaid my baby. This is my firstborn child,” helium said, adding that his lad who could “light up a country conscionable with a smile” was focused connected school, shot and his family. 

Their family, from Charleston, South Carolina, was heading to the UVA field Monday. 

The grieving begetter said helium learned the quality of his son's decease Monday greeting aft receiving a telephone from his woman portion helium was astatine work, but didn't cognize precisely what transpired successful the shooting.

He said helium past talked to his lad Saturday and helium wished helium could’ve told him 1 past time, “I emotion you, son.”

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said successful a connection Monday that helium and his woman are “praying for the UVA community.” 

“Virginia State Police is afloat coordinating with UVA constabulary section and section authorities,” helium said.

The White House besides issued a connection connected the shooting Monday.

“The President and First Lady are mourning with the University of Virginia assemblage aft yet different deadly shooting successful America has taken the lives of 3 young people. Our deepest condolences are with the countless families, friends, and neighbors grieving for those killed arsenic good arsenic those injured successful this senseless shooting,” the connection said.