Police in Charlottesville, Virginia, are searching for a former University of Virginia football player who is suspected of killing three people and wounding two others on campus late Sunday night.
Multiple law enforcement agencies were still searching for Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., who was listed as a freshman running back on the team’s 2018 roster. His roster bio noted that he previously played at Petersburg High School and Varina High School in Virginia.
In a tweet at 7:28 a.m. ET on Monday, the UVA Police Department advised residents to remain sheltered in place. There was a massive manhunt underway for Jones and residents were advised to “expect increased law enforcement presence.”
The UVA Police Department tweeted early Monday morning that it was looking for Jones regarding the shooting, which occurred in a parking garage on campus around 10:30 p.m. ET Sunday. The tweet included the same photograph of Jones that was used for his Virginia football bio online.
UVA police described Jones as a suspect and said he was wearing a burgundy jacket or hoodie, blue jeans and red shoes. Police said he might be driving a black SUV with Virginia plates. They said the suspect is armed and dangerous.
University of Virginia president James E. Ryan confirmed in a message to the community at 4 a.m. ET Monday that three people were killed and two others were injured. Ryan wrote that “one of our students, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., is suspected to have committed the shooting.”
“As of this writing, I am heartbroken to report that the shooting has resulted in three fatalities; two additional victims were injured and are receiving medical care,” Ryan wrote. “We are working closely with the families of the victims, and we will share additional detail as soon as we are able.
“Our University Police Department has joined forces with other law enforcement agencies to apprehend the suspect, and we will keep our community apprised of developments as the situation evolves. 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.”
