Charlottesville, Virginia — Monday morning classes were canceled and the University of Virginia was placed on lockdown as police sought for a student wanted in connection with a fatal shooting the night before. In a message to the community, the president of the institution stated that three persons were killed and two others were injured in the Sunday evening shooting.
The suspect, named by UVA President Jim Ryan and UVA police as university student Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., remained at large, and a “comprehensive search” of the campus was ongoing.
The UVA Police Department is searching for Christopher Darnell Jones in connection with the shooting incident that occurred on the University of Virginia campus. If observed, dial 911; do not approach.
The University of Virginia Police Department published the notice on Sunday, November 13, 2022.
The warning for students and staff to remain in place was issued late Sunday night after reports of gunfire on campus. At 10:42 p.m., the university’s emergency management tweeted about a “active attacker firearm.”
“There has been a gunshot on Culbreth Road, and the suspect is armed and dangerous,” Ryan tweeted, urging the campus community to “please shelter in place.”
Later, Ryan issued the letter to the university community, stating that he was “heartbroken to report that the incident has resulted in three fatalities” and that two others were hospitalized and treated for unidentified injuries.
Additionally, the UVA Police Department placed an online alert stating that numerous law enforcement organizations were hunting for a suspect who was “armed and dangerous.”
In his Monday morning letter, Ryan stated that only selected necessary personnel should report to work.
According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, a UVA student who was in her dorm room on Culbreth Road and heard six gunshots reported hearing them.