Man who shot and killed University of Virginia football players gets 5 life sentences

Former University of Virginia (UVA) pupil Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., who killed 3 of the school’s shot players with a weapon successful 2022, was sentenced to the maximum of 5 beingness sentences, positive 23 years connected weapon charges, Friday.

Jones reportedly apologized to the victims' household successful the courthouse, saying, "I'm sorry," according to Charlottesville-based outlet Cville Right Now. "I caused truthful overmuch pain."

Last year, Jones pleaded blameworthy to the execution of D'Sean Perry, Lavel Davis Jr. and Devin Chandler, 2 counts of aggravated malicious wounding and 5 counts of usage of a firearm successful the committee of a felony. A 4th squad member, Mike Hollins, and different student, Marlee Morgan, suffered injuries.

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A booking photograph released by the Henrico County Sheriff's Office shows Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., who was arrested connected Nov. 14, 2022, successful the fatal shooting of 3 shot players astatine the University of Virginia.  (Henrico County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)

Jones antecedently joined the UVA shot squad arsenic a walk-on existent freshman successful 2018, but ne'er played successful a game. After leaving the team, helium was inactive enrolled astatine the assemblage arsenic a student. 

Then came the time helium committed the murders. 

While riding backmost to field from a schoolhouse travel connected a charter autobus successful the hours earlier the shooting, Jones texted an big mentor, stating, "Tonight I’m either going to hellhole oregon jail. I’m sorry," according to a summary that prosecutors work successful tribunal connected Wednesday. The Associated Press obtained a draught transcript of the summary.

UVA TO PAY $9 MILLION TO FAMILIES OF VICTIMS IN 2022 SHOOTING THAT KILLED 3 FOOTBALL PLAYERS, WOUNDED 2 OTHERS

Authorities said Jones opened occurrence aboard a charter autobus arsenic helium and different students arrived backmost connected field aft seeing a play and having meal unneurotic successful Washington, D.C. 

The shooting erupted adjacent a parking store and prompted a 12-hour lockdown of the Charlottesville field until the fishy was captured. Many astatine the schoolhouse of immoderate 23,000 students huddled wrong closets and darkened dorm rooms, portion others barricaded the doors of the university’s stately world buildings.

During the rampage, Jones "methodically checked each spot until helium reached the backmost of the bus" to sprout immoderate of his victims, the summary said.

Within days of the shooting, assemblage leaders asked for an extracurricular reappraisal to analyse the school’s information policies and procedures, its effect to the unit and its anterior efforts to measure the imaginable menace of the pupil charged. School officials acknowledged Jones antecedently was connected the radar of the university’s threat-assessment team.

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In June 2024, a lawyer representing immoderate of the victims and their families, announced that the assemblage agreed to wage $9 cardinal successful a settlement. 

Wald said the assemblage should person removed Jones from field earlier the onslaught due to the fact that helium displayed aggregate reddish flags done erratic and unstable behavior.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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