Three people were killed and two others wounded in a shooting at the University of Virginia, according to reports early Monday by the university's police department. A student from the University of Virginia was taken into police custody and is suspected to have carried out the shootings Sunday on the school's main campus in Charlottesville.
The suspect has been identified as Chris Darnell Jones, a former football player for the Virginia Cavaliers. He is described as a black man who fled the scene in a black SUV with Virginia license plate TWX-3580.
Shots at night
The suspect began shooting around 10:30 p.m. ET. The shooting occurred in a parking lot on Culbreth Road on the university's Charlottesville campus, university officials said.
University officials said classes were canceled Monday while local and state police searched for the alleged perpetrator. On Monday, UVA police advised people on campus to shelter in place.
A horrible tragedy
Governor Glenn Youngkin called the shooting a "horrible tragedy." In a press conference, Governor Youngkin stated:
There were lives lost and families changed forever. And I just ask everybody this morning to lift up those families, the entire community in prayer.
On April 16, 2007, a student killed 32 people and himself at Virginia Tech in one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history. Earlier this year, in February, two police officers were killed while investigating a male suspect.
