This article is about 2 years old

U.Va. suspect to appear in court Wednesday; new charges filed

Outside Charlottesville's Paramount Theater, the names of the three slain victims of Sunday nights shooting at the University of Virginia were displayed on the marquee. (WTOP/Luke Lukert)
Outside Charlottesville’s Paramount Theater, the names of the three slain victims of Sunday night’s shooting at the University of Virginia were displayed on the marquee. (WTOP/Luke Lukert)

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., the man accused of killing three men at the University of Virginia late Sunday, is set to appear in court Wednesday morning.

Jones is accused of killing football players Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry aboard a charter bus in Charlottesville after a trip to D.C.



In addition to three counts of second-degree murder and related weapons charges, Jones will face two charges of malicious wounding for shooting two other students, one of whom is also a football player for the Cavaliers.

Online records did not list a defense attorney who could speak on behalf of Jones, a former football player who remained in custody Tuesday. If Jones is financially eligible for court-appointed counsel, an attorney will be appointed Wednesday, Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney James Hingeley said in an email. The hearing may also involve a preliminary bail review, he said.

The university canceled classes and other academic activities Tuesday and made counselors and therapy dogs available to the university community. Classes were to resume at the university Wednesday, though UVA announced it would not require undergraduate students to complete any graded assignments or take exams before the Thanksgiving break.

Meantime, the community of Charlottesville is still trying to make sense of Sunday night’s tragedy.

Outside Charlottesville’s Paramount Theater, the names of Chandler, Davis and Perry were displayed on the theater’s marquee. And staffer Catherine Ratliff said it was “to honor those souls.”

“To say: ‘Hey we are here,'” she explained. “We are a part of this community and we’re with you.”

WTOP’s Luke Lukert and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jack Pointer

Jack contributes to WTOP.com when he's not working as the afternoon/evening radio writer.

Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up