CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., the suspected gunman in a taking pictures Sunday night time that left three College of Virginia soccer gamers lifeless and one other wounded, was aiming at folks and never taking pictures a handgun randomly on a constitution bus, in keeping with a passenger on the bus.
A witness who was on the bus, which was getting back from a category discipline journey to Washington, D.C., additionally informed police that Jones shot and killed Cavaliers receiver Devin Chandler whereas he was sleeping.
Particulars of the witness statements have been shared with Albemarle Common District Courtroom Choose Kenneth Andrew Sneathern by Commonwealth’s Lawyer James Hingeley throughout Jones’ preliminary courtroom look Wednesday.
“That was info that we had from a witness,” Hingeley mentioned outdoors the courthouse.
Jones, who participated within the listening to by way of video from the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, mentioned little throughout the 20-minute listening to, aside from that he needed to rent his personal legal professional and was employed on the time of the taking pictures. Jones is being held with out bail.
Sneathern scheduled a case standing listening to for Dec. 8.
Hingeley informed the choose that Jones had beforehand been convicted on a misdemeanor cost of getting a hid weapon in Chesterfield, Virginia, on June 10, 2021. He was fined $100 and given a 12-month suspended sentence. A choose additionally issued a three-year good conduct bond in that case, in keeping with courtroom data obtained by ESPN, and the choose ordered Jones to forfeit the firearm.
On the time of that arrest, Jones additionally had excellent warrants on misdemeanor hit-and-run property injury and reckless driving fees in Petersburg, Virginia, from 2021. He was convicted on Oct. 28, 2021, and that choose additionally issued a 12-month suspended sentence on every of these fees.
Junior receiver Lavel Davis Jr. of Dorchester, South Carolina, and junior defensive finish/linebacker D’Sean Perry of Miami additionally have been killed within the taking pictures. Operating again Mike Hollins of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is hospitalized after being shot within the again. A fifth individual on the bus, Virginia scholar Marlee Morgan, was additionally shot.
“We’re all grieving and saddened and devastated by these occasions in our neighborhood,” Hingeley mentioned. “All of us on this neighborhood take care of the victims’ households and need for the speedy restoration of those that are being handled on the hospital and who have been wounded. We want that there could possibly be consolation for the members of the family of the victims who died on this horrible tragedy.”
Jones, 22, was transferred to the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail on Tuesday from a facility in Henrico County, Virginia, the place he had been arrested with out incident the day earlier than. He’s charged with three felony fees of second-degree homicide and firearm use within the fee of a felony, in addition to two counts of malicious wounding and extra gun-related fees associated to taking pictures Hollins and Morgan.
Hollins’ household has confirmed that he was injured within the taking pictures. Gordon McKernan, a spokesman for the Hollins household, informed ESPN on Wednesday that Hollins had emergency surgical procedure Sunday night time to take away a bullet from his abdomen. Medical doctors carried out a second surgical procedure to test for inner accidents and have been inspired by what they discovered, in keeping with McKernan.
McKernan mentioned medical doctors eliminated Hollins from a ventilator after the second surgical procedure.
In accordance with UVA Well being, one affected person was discharged from the medical middle Tuesday and the opposite affected person stays in severe situation.
The violence on the state’s flagship public college has set off days of mourning amongst college students and school, the broader Charlottesville neighborhood and different supporters. Courses resumed Wednesday, though the varsity introduced it was canceling its closing house soccer recreation of the season, a recreation in opposition to Coastal Carolina scheduled for Saturday.
No resolution has been made but about whether or not UVA will take part in its closing recreation of the season on Nov. 26 in opposition to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, the college mentioned in a information launch.
College president Jim Ryan mentioned Monday that authorities didn’t have a “full understanding” of the motive behind the taking pictures. Jones was a member of the soccer crew throughout the 2018 season, a one-semester walk-on, in keeping with athletic director Carla Williams.
ESPN’s Paula Lavigne and The Related Press contributed to this report.
