Police are searching for a suspect after a deadly shooting at the University of Virginia (UVA), which has been placed on lockdown with students urged to shelter in place.
The shooting was reported at a garage on Culbreth Road in Charlottesville at about 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to the University of Virginia Police Department. Three people died, and two others were injured, according to UVA president Jim Ryan.
University police said on Twitter that multiple police agencies are looking for Christopher Darnell Jones "regarding the shooting incident." Anyone who sees him is urged to call 911 immediately and not approach him.
Police described the suspect as a Black man wearing a burgundy jacket or hoodie, with blue jeans and red shoes. They said he was at large and considered armed and dangerous. He may be driving a Black SUV with VA tag TWX3580.
The UVA Police Department is looking for Christopher Darnell Jones regarding the shooting incident that occurred on the grounds of the University of Virginia. Call 911 if seen, do not approach. pic.twitter.com/mKcxF6ksxw
— UVA Police Department (@UVAPolice) November 14, 2022
In an email to the university community early Monday, Ryan confirmed Jones is a student at the university.
"One of our students, Christopher Darnell Jones, Jr. is suspected to have committed this shooting," Ryan said. "The suspect remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous."
According to the UVA athletic department website, Jones was on the school's football team in 2018 but did not appear in any games.
He had previously played linebacker and running back at Petersburg High School in Virginia, which he attended as a senior. According to the website, he spent the first three years of high school at Varina High School.
Jones grew up in the Essex Village and Mosby Court housing complexes in Richmond, according to a 2018 article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
His parents divorced when he was five, and he didn't see his father again until he was a teenager. "That was one of the most traumatic things that happened to me in my life. I didn't understand why he left. When I went to school, people didn't understand me," he told the newspaper.
According to the article, Jones got good grades in school, but also into fights, leading to several suspensions. But relatives and mentors encouraged him to maintain his grades and let go of his anger. "If it wasn't for these people in my life, I would've been just another kid whose dad left him," Jones said.
The University of Virginia Office of Emergency Management is providing alerts about the situation on Twitter.
It shared a message sent to the student body from Vice President and Dean of Students Robyn S. Hadley early Monday, which said: "We have all received several shelter in place texts, and they are frightening. I am on Grounds like many of you; I am sheltering in place and in direct touch with University leadership and UPD.
"Please, please take the shelter in place commands seriously as the situation remains active. The suspect is armed and dangerous. If you are not inside and safe, immediately seek safety."
Family and friends with questions can call the UVA Emergency Hotline at 877-685-4836.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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