Jones pleads guilty to murder of 3 UVA football players

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. has pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the fatal shootings of three University of Virginia football players in 2022.

Jones also pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated malicious wounding and five counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He will be sentenced in a four-day hearing beginning Feb. 4 in Albemarle County Circuit Court.

On Wednesday, prosecutors read a summary of the shooting, along with information that had not been made public.

According the the Associated Press, Jones texted an undisclosed adult mentor and stated, “Tonight I’m either going to hell or jail. I’m sorry.”

Jones was in Washington, D.C., as part of a drama class field trip that included the three players who were murdered and another football player and a female student who were wounded. Jones opened fire on his victims once the bus returned to campus.

One witness who was on the bus told authorities that he heard Jones talking to himself, saying, “I’m sorry if I offended you. I didn’t mean to offend you. I’ve been through so much in my life,” and, “I don’t have any weapons.”

While authorities have not released an official motive in the murders, a woman who previously rejected Jones romantically had exchanged phone numbers with one of the victims, Devin Chandler, prosecutors said.

Jones’ final text to the adult mentor during the trip was, “They’re not getting off this bus.”

According to the report, Jones also texted some of his family members and said he loved them, prosecutors added. He also texted his younger brother that something might happen, with a siren emoji at the end of the text.

Prosecutors also pointed out that during the shooting spree, Jones checked each seat on the bus until he reached the back of the vehicle, where he shot some of his victims. The report said that Jones sat alone at the play the class attended and on the bus ride home, but had become irritable after the football players arrived to begin the trip.

Michael Haggard, an attorney who represented three of the victims in the civil case, said the families initially opposed a plea agreement because they desired that Jones stand trial and get the maximum punishment — life without the possibility of parole.

Haggard told the AP, “It was difficult for them. They would have wanted more, but they are anxiously awaiting this sentencing. They want life in prison.”

He also said the families are anxiously awaiting the release of the report on the independent investigation because, “they wanted a trial to learn more about what the heck happened.”

UVA officials postposted that release in 2023 because of concerns it could affect Jones’ trial. Now, the report’s release is scheduled after the final sentencing in February.