Former Student Sentenced for Deadly University Bus Attack
A former student from the University of Virginia was handed five life sentences on Friday for a horrific shooting in 2022 that left three American football players dead and two other students wounded. Christopher Darnell Jones, Jr., who had previously been a member of the university's football team, received the maximum possible penalty from Judge Cheryl Higgins after a five-day sentencing hearing.
Jones had pleaded guilty last year to the murders of Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr., and D’Sean Perry, and the aggravated malicious wounding of Michael Hollins and Marlee Morgan. The tragic incident unfolded as students returned to campus on a charter bus after an evening out watching a play and having dinner in Washington, D.C.
Campus Lockdown and Aftermath
Authorities confirmed that Jones opened fire aboard the bus near a campus parking garage, triggering a massive 12-hour lockdown of the Charlottesville campus. During the lockdown, approximately 23,000 students were instructed to shelter in place, with many hiding in closets and darkened dorm rooms while others barricaded doors in academic buildings.
Judge Higgins, who serves on the Albemarle County Circuit Court, stated that the sentence was not "vindictive" but was instead based on a logical analysis of the facts. She noted that while Jones had "distortions in his perception" of reality, he understood his actions. This was evidenced by a text he sent before the shooting stating he would either "go to hell or spend 100-plus years in jail."
The judge also highlighted that no one was bullying or threatening Jones on the night of the shooting, countering any potential justification for his actions. Furthermore, it was revealed that Jones's time on the football team did not overlap with the players he shot, and there was no indication they knew each other prior to the incident.
University Accountability and Victim Impact
In the days following the tragedy, university leaders commissioned an external review of the institution's safety policies and its response to the violence. The review also examined prior efforts to assess potential threats from the accused student. University officials acknowledged that Jones had previously been on the radar of the university's threat-assessment team.
Last year, the university agreed to a $9 million settlement with the victims and their families. An attorney representing the families argued that the university should have removed Jones from campus before the attack, citing multiple red flags through his erratic and unstable behaviour.
During the sentencing hearing, Jones addressed the court for 15 minutes, tearfully apologising for his actions and the pain he caused "everyone on that bus." Some family members of the victims walked out as he spoke. "I'm so sorry," Jones said. "I caused so much pain." He added, "I didn't know your sons. I didn't know your boys. And I wish I did."
Surviving victim Michael Hollins, a football player who was wounded in the attack, told reporters after the sentencing that justice had been served "for the most part." He stated, "Even though no amount of time on this earth in jail will repay or get those lives back, just a little bit of peace knowing that the man that committed those crimes won't be hurting anyone else."
According to reports, Jones will be eligible to apply for parole when he turns 60.
