A crime scene where 3 people were killed and 2 others injured is shown on the grounds of the University of Virginia on November 14, 2022 in Charlottesville, Virginia.  The suspect is believed to be a student at the university and remains at large as the campus remains on lockdown.  (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
                             Getty Images/Win McNamee                            
                          Police searched on and off campus for a gunman after three people were killed and two others injured Sunday night.
                             WTOP/Luke Luckert                            
                          Students stand on top of a fraternity house after more than 10 hours of housing in place.  A canine team from the Virginia Department of Corrections investigates the scene near an overnight shooting at the University of Virginia, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, in Charlottesville.  Va.  (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
                             AP/Steve Helber                            
                          Police on the University of Virginia campus are searching for a student suspected of shooting and killing three people.
                             WTOP/Luke Luckert                            
                          A University of Virginia police officer leads a van full of people away from a crime scene during an active shooting situation on the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville, Va., Monday, Nov. 14, 2022. Some people were killed and some others were injured in a shooting late Sunday at the University of Virginia, according to the school’s president.  Police are looking for a suspect, who remains at large.  (Mike Kropf/The Daily Progress via AP)
                             AP/Mike Kropf                            
                          Police cars are seen at the University of Virginia on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, the morning after a fatal shooting.  (WTOP/Luke Lukert)
                             WTOP/Luke Luckert

Three University of Virginia football players were shot to death on the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville late Sunday night. The players are identified as Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry and Lavel Davis. Two other people were injured during the shooting. The suspect, is U.Va. school student. After about 12 hours, the shelter in place was lifted around 10:33 a.m. and classes were canceled Monday, according to the University of Virginia’s Office of Emergency Management. Although police completed a thorough search on and off campus, the office said people should expect a “large police presence.” “Around 10:30 p.m. last night, a shooting occurred on the Grounds,” University President Jim Ryan wrote in a letter to the university community around 4 a.m. committed the shooting. The suspect remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous. Multiple law enforcement agencies are coordinating to locate and arrest him.” Ryan said Jones was last seen wearing a burgundy jacket with blue jeans and red shoes and may be driving a black SUV with Virginia license plate TWX3580. Campus police identified Jones in connection with the shooting. The UVA Police Department is searching for Christopher Darnell Jones in connection with a shooting incident that occurred on the University of Virginia campus. Call 911 if you see it, do not approach. pic.twitter.com/mKcxF6ksxw — UVA Police Department (@UVAPolice) November 14, 2022 Jones appears to be a former U.Va. football player, based on the team’s 2018 roster. Around 10:30 p.m., the University of Virginia’s Office of Emergency Management reported shots fired in the Culbreth Garage near the campus drama building in a tweet and advised people on campus to “RUN HIDE FIGHT.” Campus police are leading the investigation, but multiple agencies are looking for Jones. No information is publicly known about the identity of the victims or whether they were targeted. Ryan urged the community to follow the U.Va. Emergency management for updates. There was a shooting on Culbreth Street and the suspect is at large and is considered armed and dangerous. Follow @UVA_EM for updated alerts as we ask the @UVA community to shelter in place. — Jim Ryan (@presjimryan) November 14, 2022 The school advised those on campus to inform friends and family of their condition. The university has set up an emergency hotline at 877-685-4836.

Shelter in place

Eva Surovell, the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, told WTOP’s Neal Augenstein that she was sheltering inside her dorm. Like many other students, he said, he had no food and little sleep as he “anxiously” awaited more information. A fourth grader, Surovell is part of a generation of people who grew up hearing about school shootings. Some of those shootings were more deadly and others in the same situation, but he said “that doesn’t make it any easier when it’s your own community and your own school.” Encourage students to call their loved ones if they haven’t already. “I told my readers this morning that the only advice I have is to tell the people in your life that you care, that you love them, because you never know what they’re going to take away from you,” Surovel said.

Reaction

In the letter, Ryan said the university will make plans to grieve after the fatal shooting suspect is arrested. “This is a message every leader hopes they never have to send, and I am devastated that this violence was visited upon the University of Virginia,” Ryan wrote. On Monday morning, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngin said in a tweet that he was praying for the community. This morning, Suzanne and I are praying for the UVA community. The Virginia State Police is fully coordinating with the UVA Police Department and local authorities. Please evacuate the area while authorities work to locate the suspect. — Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) November 14, 2022 Sen. Tim Kaine, who represents Virginia, issued a call for action via Twitter. It breaks my heart to hear of another Virginia community devastated by gun violence. Praying for the UVA community and monitoring the situation closely. Follow the directions of law enforcement at @UVAPolice. We must take further action to make our communities safer. — Tim Kaine (@timkaine) November 14, 2022

Tragedy struck U.Va. before

The shooting comes on a campus that has faced violent tragedy in the past. In August 2017, hundreds of white nationalists marched through the university’s campus during the Unite the Right Rally. Clashes broke out between white nationalists and protesters, and one protester, 32-year-old Heather Heyer, was killed when she was hit by a car that drove through a crowd of protesters. James Alex Fields Jr. was convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence for that attack. Two soldiers were also killed during the 2017 protests when their helicopter crashed near Charlottesville. WTOP’s Hugh Garbrick contributed to this report.