Chilling moments before UVA shooter opened fire on football players revealed
The University of Virginia student accused of killing three players on the college’s football team and injuring two others had been acting strangely before opening fire on a bus, which had just returned to campus from a school trip on Sunday night.
Witness Ryan Lynch told Philadelphia TV station KYW alleged gunman Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. “got up and pushed” one of the victims, Lavel Davis Jr.
“After he pushed him, he was like ‘You guys are always messing with me.’ He said something like that but it was really bizarre because they didn’t talk to him the whole trip.
“We thought he was going to shoot everyone in the bus at that point… I thought we all were going to die,” she added.
Gordon McKernan, a family friend of Mike Hollins — who is in critical condition on a ventilator after being shot — told Sports Illustrated Jones had mentioned a video game before the rampage.
“He was asking one of the football players about a video game,” McKernan said.
“The guy answered, and at that moment, he pulled a gun and started shooting. The belief from those on board was that he was targeting football players.”
Authorities arrested Jones Jr. — who had been a Virginia Cavaliers walk-on running back in 2018 — on Monday following a 12-hour manhunt. He was charged with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun to commit a felony and is being held at Henrico jail.
The alleged shooter’s father, Christopher Darnell Jones Sr., told NBC12 his son had complained about school around a month ago.
“He had some problems the last time I talked to him. He said some people was picking on him or whatever, he didn’t know how to handle it, and I just told him don’t pay it any mind and just go to school,” Jones Sr. recalled.
“He was really paranoid when I talk to him about something, but he wouldn’t tell me everything. He was a very sensitive young man.”
Lavel and Devin Chandler, both from South Carolina and D’Sean Perry of Florida, were all killed in the shooting.
Hollins was shot in the back and suffered wounds to his abdomen, where the bullet is believed to have exited his body. He underwent surgery Sunday and will have another procedure Tuesday, McKernan said. The second person who was shot has not been named, but is believed to still be in a critical condition.
“Mike was towards the front of the bus. Mike survived because he was farther away from the shooter,” McKernan said. “The other three were seated closer to the shooter.”
Witnesses on the bus told Hollins’ mother, Brenda, the gunman seemed to specifically be targeting members of the football team, McKernan said.
“The first thing he asked about was his three teammates,” McKernan said.
A motive for the shooting has not yet been determined.
A vigil was held at the college’s South Lawn Monday night, drawing thousands of mourning community members and university students.
