Month: November 2022

UVA shooting investigation continues 

New details have emerged since a shooter killed three students and injured two others at the University of Virginia last week.

On November 13, suspect Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. and 21 other students, along with a professor, traveled to Washington, D.C., to see a play. As the group’s bus arrived back at UVA at around 10:15pm, Jones allegedly shot at students, fired additional rounds while exiting the bus, and fled in his vehicle. Officers found a handgun near the scene, according to the Virginia State Police, which is leading the multijurisdictional investigation.

After a more than 12-hour manhunt and campus lockdown, police arrested Jones, 23, in Henrico County on November 14. Jones is accused of killing Devin Chandler, 20, Lavel Davis Jr., 20, and D’Sean Perry, 22, and injuring Michael Hollins, 19—all UVA football players. Student Marlee Morgan, 19, was also injured during the shooting. GoFundMe has verified fundraisers for Davis, Chandler, Perry, and Morgan.

On November 21, Hollins—who told his family he was shot after running off the bus and then returning to help his classmates—was released from the hospital after undergoing surgeries. Morgan was discharged on November 15. 

Jones, a walk-on member of the football team during the 2018 season, has been charged with three felony counts of second-degree murder, among other crimes. On November 16, Jones appeared via videostream in Albemarle General District Court, and was ordered to be held without bond at Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. He agreed to be represented by a public defender, but said he planned to hire a lawyer. The judge set a status hearing for December 8.

According to Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Hingeley, a witness told police that Jones shot Chandler while he was sleeping, and aimed at certain people on the bus, reports NBC29. However, the motive for the shooting remains unclear. 

The VSP seized a semiautomatic rifle, pistol, ammunition, and magazines, among other items, from Jones’ dorm room, reports The Daily Progress. UVA bans weapons and ammunition on school property. 

A November 16 press release from Dance’s Sporting Goods in Colonial Heights, Virginia, said that Jones legally purchased a rifle and pistol from the shop this year. Jones had unsuccessfully tried to buy guns there before—he failed a background check in 2018 for being underage, and another one in 2021 due to a pending felony charge. The attempts were reported to the VSP.

During UVA’s investigation into a hazing incident involving Jones in September, a third party said they heard Jones say he had a gun. Officials spoke with the person who reported Jones and Jones’ roommate, who said he never saw him with a weapon, but it remains unclear if they interviewed Jones. The investigation was closed after witnesses would not cooperate. 

However, officials investigating the incident discovered that Jones had been convicted of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit in 2021. Because Jones did not report his crime to the university, violating school policy, the student affairs office warned Jones in October that his case would be submitted to the University Judiciary Committee—but the case was not submitted until after the shooting, according to UVA spokesman Brian Coy. Last year, Jones was also charged with a felony for not remaining at the scene of a car accident, but the charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor.

Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office announced on November 17 that it would appoint a special counsel to independently review UVA’s threat assessment of Jones, and its response to the shooting, which the university requested.

In an interview with The Washington Post, second-year student Ryan Lynch, who attended the field trip, said that Jones was not in the group’s class about African American playwrights, but had been invited by their professor because he was taking another class with her. Jones sat apart from the class during the play, and did not talk much with other students on the bus, claimed Lynch. Other students told Lynch they heard Jones yell, “something to the effect of, ‘You guys are always messing with me,’” before opening fire.

Lynch said she and a friend performed CPR on Davis, who she had grown close to, before fleeing from the bus.

“The one thing that gives me comfort is I know each one of them had somebody in our class trying to help them,” said Lynch. “I want their families to know that. In their last moments, they weren’t alone.”

Jones’ father, Christopher Darnell Jones Sr., said in interviews that his son told him that “some people were picking on him” when they saw each other last month. However, he was completely shocked and pained by the shooting.

“He was really paranoid when I talked to him about something, but he wouldn’t tell me everything,” said Jones Sr. “I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry on his behalf, and I apologize. He’s not a bad kid. … I just don’t know what happened.”

In brief

Another delay

The Virginia Board of Education delayed its review of the state’s new proposed history and social science learning standards again on November 17, following backlash from advocacy groups, politicians, educators, parents, and others. Critics denounced the proposal for omitting Martin Luther King Jr. from elementary standards, and referring to Indigenous people as “immigrants,” among other issues, and accused Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration of whitewashing history. The board directed Jillian Balow, superintendent of public instruction, to correct the errors and omissions, as well as incorporate public feedback and content from an August draft—which was based on more than two years of input from hundreds of educators, historians, and other experts—into a revised proposal. In-person and virtual input sessions on the standards will be held November 28 through December 16.

Longtime city manager dies

Former Charlottesville city manager Cole Hendrix, who led the city from 1971 to 1997, passed away on November 15, according to a city press release. During his tenure, Hendrix spurred the creation of the Downtown Mall, Omni Charlottesville Hotel, and Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority. He was 88 years old.

New committee

The City of Charlottesville is forming a committee to discuss the challenges and issues facing the Downtown Mall, and propose potential solutions for the next 50 years, as the pedestrian mall nears its 50th birthday. “It is necessary to revisit maintenance, improvements, and enhancements. … We need to ensure everyone is welcome and has a quality experience,” reads a city press release. Committee applications are available on the city website, and must be submitted by December 20.

As I reflect on the University of Virginia’s memorial service honoring the victims of the November 13 shooting, it is a struggle to put my thoughts into words.

I could mention the names of those who spoke, like UVA President Jim Ryan, Athletic Director Carla Williams, or the large number of students who knew the three young men who were killed. I could tell you what they said about Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry, and Lavel Davis Jr, the stories they told. I could reflect on the many tears that were shed. But all of this would fail to fully illustrate the pain and suffering present in John Paul Jones Arena on a cold November afternoon.

Words fail to express the utter horror I felt while watching the victims’ families walk slowly from the stage to their seats. No words can convey their suffering, yet it reverberated around the arena—and made the space feel like the smallest, most intimate room. 

Williams admired Chandler’s penchant for dancing—his close relatives fondly referred to him as “Devin the Dancing Machine.” She spoke of Davis’ extreme enjoyment of the 18 scrambled eggs his grandmother made him every time he came home. She recounted that a young Perry insisted on dressing as a red Power Ranger for Halloween, and that he refused to take the costume off until Thanksgiving. 

Her stories gave every person who did not know these three young men a hint of the lives they led—and it was devastating. 

She ended her speech with a promise to their families: “We love your sons, and we will make sure their legacy never fades at the University of Virginia.”

The speeches were interspersed with musical selections by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Choir and gospel singer Cece Winans, as well as videos showing pictures of the trio, narrated by teammates and past coaches. 

The most gut-wrenching speeches were delivered by the slain players’ football teammates. Second-year student Cody Brown spoke about a funny, confident, and kind Chandler whose “smile alone was enough to brighten anyone’s day.” He uttered a tearful goodbye to his fallen friend. “We love you so much, and know you’re smiling down on us in Heaven.”

Third-year student Jared Rayman painted a portrait of Davis as a “natural-born leader” who perfectly modeled the phrase, “lead by example.” 

“Each tear I shed for you, ‘Vel, holds immeasurable love,” said Rayman. “The only thing that lessens my grief is the memory of your infectious smile.”

First-year student Matt Bettridge admired Perry for many years at their Miami high school, viewing him as a mentor and role model. Reading a letter he wrote to his beloved friend, he said, “Your presence was felt each and every day that I was able to step on the field and share it with you.”

Bettridge urged those attending the memorial service to “fight for what you want, and fight for the people you love the most. D’Sean was the best fighter I knew—and always pushed himself to be the best person on and off the field.” 

Though these speeches could not begin to encompass the richness of the lives of the three men, they offered a glimpse of the smiling, energetic, and kind individuals they were. And for that, I will forever be grateful to their teammates who shared these stories in the midst of their deep, intense grief. 

UVA football coach Tony Elliott closed out the service by reading a Bible passage, wishing peace to those affected by the tragedy. He also reflected on his time with the three men, pointing to a moment Davis took him by the shoulder during a practice to tell him something important: “Coach, I’m starting to understand it. It’s the little things that matter.” 

Elliott praised how Chandler brought joy to everyone around him.“You felt and heard Devin before you ever saw him,” he said. The coach also spoke of Perry—who “on the inside [was] intricately woven together with life, beauty, and love”—with much reverence.

As everyone filed out of the arena in near-complete silence, I was thankful for all that I had learned about the young men, and overwhelmed by the enormity of the loss. Though the feelings in that arena were almost too much to bear, I hope it will give the families and friends of Perry, Chandler, and Davis one simple assurance: We will remember them. 

GoFundMe fundraisers have been set up for Davis, Chandler, Perry, and Morgan.

Two dozen student veterans came together November 11 at Newcomb Hall to celebrate Veterans Day and share the struggles they’ve faced transitioning from military to student life—as well as the advantages being a veteran has afforded them. UVA President Jim Ryan, along with other university officials, also attended the event, hosted by the Student Veterans of America.

Student veterans detailed the struggles they faced adjusting to UVA. Alex, a second-year statistics major, shared that he had difficulty adapting to the amount of downtime he now has as a student, and learning to manage his own time and commitments. 

However, many veterans praised UVA for offering them opportunities they may not have had elsewhere. As a first-year computer science major with a young daughter, Dalton expressed gratitude for being afforded early enrollment and graduate housing for his family. He felt that these advantages helped him better navigate the university as an unconventional student: “I felt the UVA hand reach out,” he said.

Halfway through the event, Ryan arrived to give the Veteran Student Center a check for $25,900 “due to the generosity of others,” he said, detailing the ways in which he wants to “make UVA synonymous with service.” He expressed admiration for those who have served in the military, and said he felt honored to be in the presence of student veterans, particularly on Veterans Day. UVA officials in attendance—many of whom were veterans themselves and work closely with student veterans—also shared stories about their time in the military.

Though the students discussed their gratitude for the Veteran Student Center, some said they often faced additional stress because of the lack of representation in the upper echelons of UVA administration. Brett Schriever, a third-year aerospace engineering major, detailed his struggles getting help from the university when he faced complications with his GI Bill benefits. In the end, Schriever—who spent two years on active duty, and is now in his eighth year in the Army Reserves—said he had to ask another student veteran for advice. 

Marine Corps veteran and first-year student Romeo Sarmiento, treasurer of UVA’s Student Veterans chapter, expressed similar concerns. Sarmiento, who spent seven years as an infantry assaultman, articulated his disappointment that there is still no veteran representation among the university’s faculty, and that there are no faculty advisors to help veterans with all the aspects of their transition into university life. 

Sarmiento also explained the ways in which his time in the military affected his career path—he plans to apply to the McIntire School of Commerce, and eventually become a lawyer to serve his country in a new way. “Service doesn’t end,” he said.

Concluding the event, Sarmiento expressed hope that the Veteran Student Center will be able to organize more events in the future incorporating the general student body. There is an “important opportunity for exchange,” he said.