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Suspect Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. faces charges at Albemarle General District Court

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. has been charged with three counts of second degree murder and possession of a handgun

<p>Jones’ status hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8.</p>

Jones’ status hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8.

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., the suspect in Sunday’s shooting, made his first court appearance in the Albemarle General District Court Wednesday morning. Jones was charged with three counts of second degree murder and three counts of possession of a handgun in the commission of a felony. 

Three football players — second-year student Devin Chandler, third-year student Lavel Davis and fourth-year student D'Sean Perry — were shot fatally Sunday evening. Two other students were injured, one of whom has been released from U.Va. Health and the other who is in “serious” condition. The University has not released the identities of these two individuals, though third-year student Mike Hollins’ mother has confirmed Hollins was injured and had undergone surgery. 

Prosecutors told the judge that witnesses saw Jones targeting specific people on the bus where the shooting began. Jones was a walk-on on the Cavaliers’ football team for one semester in 2018, but never played — Athletic Director Carla Williams told press yesterday that she did not think the victims and Jones overlapped. 

After a search which lasted nearly 12 hours, Henrico Police arrested Jones 70 miles away from the University. 

Jones’ status hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8. A judge has assigned Jones representation from the public defender’s office — Jones says he is seeking his own counsel. He is being held without bond at the Albemarle County Regional Jail. 

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