Shooting at University of Virginia Leaves 3 Dead, 2 Injured

Update: 2:30 p.m. CT

National news reports that three university football players were killed in a shooting at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., on Sunday night. The suspect, 22-year-old Chris Darnell Jones, was taken into custody on Monday morning after an overnight manhunt involving multiple law-enforcement agencies, according to UVA Emergency Management.

The three victims were wide receiver Devin Chandler from Virginia Beach, Va.; wide receiver Lavel Davis from Dorchester, S.C.; and linebacker D’Sean Perry from Miami, Fla., according to NPR. All three were juniors.

NPR also reports that the university has yet to release the names of two more individuals who were injured in the attack, one of whom remains in critical condition.

University president Jim Ryan said in a press conference that the shooting occurred at about 10:30 p.m. ET “on a charter bus full of students returning from a field trip to see a play.”

“This is an unimaginably sad day for our community,” said Ryan. “The entire university community is grieving this morning. My heart is broken for the victims and their families and for all who knew and loved them.”

A news release reports that Jones was apprehended “without incident” about 75 miles southeast of the university in a suburb of Richmond, Va. University Police Chief Tim Longo said that Jones faces three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun to commit a felony. National news reports that Jones was listed on the university’s website as a football player during the 2018 season but didn’t play in any games.

Original story: 10:09 a.m. CT

National news reports that a shooting at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., left three dead and two wounded on Sunday night. The campus went into lockdown shortly after the incident, which occurred at about 10:30 p.m. local time, and lasted overnight. The suspect remains at large; local law enforcement encouraged the university community to shelter in place as they searched on and around the campus grounds, according to the UVA Police Department’s official Twitter account.

The lockdown was lifted at about 10:40 a.m. local time on Monday morning, and the university cancelled classes for the day, according to local news.

Campus police have identified the suspect as student Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. Multiple news outlets report that Jones was listed as a member of the UVA football team in 2018. Law enforcement have released a photo, description, and the license plate information of the vehicle he could potentially be driving, as well as the information that Jones is considered to be “armed and dangerous,” according to local news.

NPR reports that the shooting occurred near a parking garage on campus. Officials have not yet released the identities of the three victims or the two wounded, who are receiving medical care.

“We will share details as soon as we are able,” said University of Virginia President Jim Ryan in a statement. “This is a message any leader hopes never to have to send, and I am devastated that this violence has visited the University of Virginia.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services
  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

New Products

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.