Upgraded Murder Charges Issued for UVA Football Player Shooting
In a significant development, authorities have escalated the murder charges against Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., the man accused of fatally shooting three University of Virginia (UVA) football players last year. A special grand jury in Charlottesville issued new aggravated murder indictments against the 23-year-old, with a potential mandatory life sentence if convicted. These charges represent the gravest murder charges available in Virginia since the state abolished the death penalty in 2021.
The tragic incident unfolded in November 2022 when Jones, then a UVA student and former football team member, allegedly opened fire on a charter bus returning students from a field trip. The victims of this horrifying act were football players Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry, and Devin Chandler, while another team member, Mike Hollins, and another student sustained injuries in the attack.
Initially, Jones had faced second-degree murder charges following his arrest. However, Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney James Hingeley disclosed that these upgraded indictments were returned by a special grand jury on Wednesday.
Liz Murtagh, the public defender representing Jones in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, expressed her regret over the prosecutor’s decision to pursue these more severe charges but refrained from providing further commentary.