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Accused UVa shooter spoke of having gun 2 months ago, student told university

By ERIC KOLENICH Richmond Times-Dispatch Nov 14, 2022 Updated 25 min ago

The University of Virginia’s threat assessment team became aware of Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. in September when a third party reported Jones may have had a gun, UVa Police Chief Tim Longo said Monday. ... Jones, 22 and a Richmond native, has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun in a felony. Three UVa students were shot and killed on campus on Sunday, and two more were injured.

Police apprehended Jones late Monday morning in eastern Henrico County, about 12 hours after the manhunt began. They reported the clothing they believed he was wearing — a burgundy jacket, blue jeans and red shoes — and the car he may have been driving, a black sport utility vehicle with Virginia plates TWX-3580. Authorities described him as armed and dangerous.

On Sept. 15, UVa student affairs learned from a student that Jones had talked about possessing a gun. The student never saw a gun, and no threat was made at the time. The student made the report as part of a hazing investigation, said Brian Coy, spokesperson for UVa. ... UVa employees spoke with Jones’ roommate, who had not seen a gun. As part of the investigation, UVa learned that Jones had been tried and convicted of a misdemeanor concealed weapons violation in 2021. He received a 12-month suspended sentence and a small fine, Coy said. It’s unclear where the violation took place. ... But Jones refused to cooperate with the university’s investigation. UVa sought additional details about the claim that he had a firearm in his possession and that he had been convicted of a weapons violation. ... On Oct. 27, UVa escalated the case for disciplinary action, Coy said.

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He graduated {from high school} with a 4.2 GPA, fifth in his class. Petersburg chose him as the top male student-athlete for an annual scholarship program run by Sports Backers and the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where he won a $2,500 scholarship. ... Upon graduation, he said he was interested in pursuing a degree in political science or business administration. Three school employees who knew him declined to comment Monday.

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ekolenich@timesdispatch.com

(804) 649-6109

Twitter: @EricKolenich

Staff writer Charlotte Rene Woods contributed to this report.