Charlottesville, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - A former UVA student pleaded guilty on Wednesday to fatally shooting three student athletes on school grounds in 2022.
Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., 25, has been charged with 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 set to begin Feb. 4.
On Nov. 13, 2022, just before 11 p.m., Jones killed three football players and wounded several others on the Charlottesville campus. Authorities said Jones opened fire on a charter bus as he and dozens of UVA students were returning to campus from a field trip in Washington, D.C.
A witness told police that he had targeted specific individuals.
Football players Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler were killed, while two other students – former teammates Michael Hollins and Marlee Morgan — were taken to the hospital for injuries. Jones was arrested in Henrico County the next day.
The guilty plea deal comes before Jones’ scheduled court appearance for a jury trial in January 2025.
