An “unimaginably sad day.”
That’s what University of Virginia President Jim Ryan called Monday, after three University of Virginia football players were killed and two others were wounded in a shooting late Sunday.
It’s a sentiment that many leaders around the commonwealth echoed on Monday. Gov. Glenn Youngkin ordered that all U.S. and Virginia flags be flown at half-staff on Tuesday from sunrise until sunset over the state Capitol and all local, state and federal buildings in the commonwealth.
During a morning news conference about the shooting, Ryan said he couldn’t imagine anything worse than for a parent to lose a child. “Please know that we will do everything we can to honor their lives and will come together soon as a community to mourn these losses,” he said.
On Monday morning, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a tweet that he’s praying for the community.
This morning, Suzanne and I are praying for the UVA community. Virginia State Police is fully coordinating with UVA police department and local authorities. Please shelter in place while the authorities work to locate the suspect.
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) November 14, 2022
Sen. Tim Kaine, who represents Virginia, issued a call to action over Twitter.
Heartbroken to hear of another Virginia community devastated by gun violence. Praying for the UVA community and closely monitoring the situation. Please follow the directions of law enforcement at @UVApolice.
We must take further action to make our communities safer.
— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) November 14, 2022
Virginia’s other senator, Mark Warner, thanked law enforcement for their efforts in arresting a suspect.
My thoughts are still with the families of the victims and the entire Charlottesville community,” he tweeted. “We must continue working to address the epidemic of gun violence.”
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears called for “peace and healing” in a tweet Monday afternoon.
Three Charlottesville-area prosecutors — U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh, Charlottesville Commonwealth Attorney Joseph Platania and Albemarle County Commonwealth Attorney James Hingeley — issued a joint statement saying they are working with police on the investigation.
“The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Offices for the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle are actively working with local, state, and federal law enforcement in their efforts to thoroughly investigate this tragic incident and we will bring any potential charges in the appropriate jurisdiction,” they wrote.
The slain victims were identified as Devin Chandler of Virginia Beach, D’Sean Perry of Miami and Lavel Davis of Ridgeville, South Carolina.
The suspect, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., was taken into custody late Monday morning.
Monday night’s home basketball game against Northern Iowa has been canceled. And the commissioner of the ACC, Jim Phillips, said conference officials are “heartbroken and devastated”
“The ACC is a family and when one member of our family hurts, we all hurt,” Phillips said in a statement.
