A former University of Virginia student pleaded guilty Wednesday to fatally shooting three football players and wounding two other students on the Charlottesville campus in 2022.
Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., 25, pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated malicious wounding and five counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. A four-day sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin Feb. 4 in Albemarle County Circuit Court.
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“Today’s proceedings represent another step in a lengthy and painful journey for the families of the victims and for our community,” UVA President Jim Ryan said in a news release. “We continue to grieve the loss of three beloved members of our community and the injuries suffered by others on the bus.”
Authorities said that Jones opened fire on a charter bus as he and other students arrived back on campus after seeing a play and having dinner together in Washington, D.C.
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Authorities had not released a motive. Jones was a former member of the university's football team. A witness told police that he had targeted specific victims.
Football players Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler were killed, while a fourth member of the team, Mike Hollins, and another student, Marlee Morgan, were wounded.
The shooting erupted near a parking garage and set off panic and a 12-hour lockdown of the campus until the suspect was captured. His trial on murder charges and other counts had been scheduled for January.
