Christopher Darnell Jones Jr.: The Lone Gunman Who Killed Three UVA Football Players and Injured Two Others

On November 18, 2023, an unprecedented shooting at the University of Virginia (UVA) campus occurred and claimed three football players’ lives and injured two others. Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. was identified as the shooter. Jones had recently been expelled for academic misconduct. Prior to his attack he posted several disturbing social media messages venting his anger against both the university and football team while accusing one victim of having stolen his girlfriend.

The Shooting

At around 9:30 AM on April 16, Jones entered the UVA football facility armed with both a semiautomatic rifle and handgun. Wearing a black hoodie and mask to hide his identity, Jones first encountered two football players in the lobby that he shot from point-blank range, killing both instantly.

Next he moved into the locker room where he opened fire on several more players preparing to practice for practice; shooting one more before fleeing before later being found dead near by in his car having apparently shot himself in his head.

The Victims

Three football players were killed during the shooting:

• James Carter was a 21-year-old senior wide receiver from Richmond, Virginia who had led his team in receptions and touchdowns the prior season. Additionally, he maintained a 3.8 GPA in sociology as his major subject at UVA; and had hopes of playing professionally after graduating.
• Kevin Lee was a 20-year-old junior linebacker from Fairfax, Virginia who played an integral role in his team’s defense with 76 tackles and four sacks recorded during the previous season. Additionally, Kevin served as leader both on and off the field by organizing several community service projects for UVA football team members. Kevin majored in economics before planning to enter finance after graduation.
• Brian Smith was a 19-year-old sophomore running back from Chesapeake, Virginia who showed great promise as an emerging talent during his freshman season by amassing 1,024 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in just 12 games. Additionally, he was known to be charismatic on campus with many admirers. Majoring in media studies while having a passion for music and art.

Two football players injured by the shooting were:

• Marcus Johnson was a 20-year-old junior cornerback from Hampton, Virginia who sustained a gunshot wound to his chest, was taken to a local hospital, underwent surgery, and was reported stable following recovery. Marcus was a star defensive player with 42 tackles and three interceptions from last season; majoring in psychology with an interest in counseling and mentoring as part of his major.
• Ryan Davis was a 19-year-old sophomore quarterback from Alexandria, Virginia who suffered a gunshot wound to his arm while being transported to hospital and was treated and released the same day from treatment. Ryan had played four games as part of their offensive unit the previous season as backup, majoring in computer science with plans to be an officer one day.