University of Virginia shooting: 3 dead, shooter still at large

Three people were killed and two others wounded in the University of Virginia shooting in Charlottesville, United States, when a former student opened fire.

According to University President James Ryan, the shooter remains at large and the premises has been in lockdown while the search continues.

Authorities identified the suspect as Christopher Darnell Jones Jr; wearing blue jeans, red shoes and a burgundy jacket. He may be driving a black SUV.

The UVA Police Department said multiple police department agencies including state police “are actively searching for the suspect; suspect is armed and dangerous”.

Witnesses on campus reported the shooting at 10.30pm Sunday local time (5:30 am on Monday, South African Standard Time).

Shots were fired in the Culbreth parking garage, followed by a campus-wide alert calling those in the vicinity to seek shelter.

University police said they are looking for Christopher Darnell Jones Jr in connection with the shooting.

Jones was reportedly a former UVA football player in 2018, during his freshman year, but didn’t participate in any games.

As reported by New York Times, Ryan said classes would be cancelled while they are “working closely with the families of the victims”.

“This is a message any leader hopes never to have to send and I am devastated that this violence has visited the University of Virginia,” Ryan said in an email.

The shelter-in-place commands remain active, with UVA vice president and chief student affairs officer Robyn Hadley saying the alerts “are frightening”.

????#BREAKING: Active shooter at University of Virginia Charlottesville ⁰⁰????#Charlottesville l #VA ⁰⁰Police are responding to an Active shooter at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville with reports of multiple people shot they are asking people to shelter in place pic.twitter.com/j7h2UHjiKN

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) November 14, 2022

Hadley’s email reads: “I am on grounds like many of you; I am sheltering in place and in direct touch with University leadership and UPD”.

“If you are not inside and safe, immediately seek safety,” Hadley added.

Jones opened fire near the School of Architecture on the campus’ northwestern side.