The University of Virginia and its community are reeling from a late Sunday shooting (Nov. 13) that took the lives of three students and injured two others. During a press conference earlier this morning (Nov. 14), UVA President Jim Ryan confirmed that D’Sean Perry, Lavel Davis Jr., and Devin Chandler were all members of the football team before they met their untimely deaths.

In an open letter published to social media, Ryan said that he was “devastated” by the tragic events and that school would be canceled today. He also gave a description on the shooting suspect, a former UVA football player:

“Around 10:30pm last night, there was a shooting on grounds. One of our students, Christopher Darnell Jones, Jr., is suspected to have committed the shooting… As of this writing, I am heartbroken to report that the shooting has resulted in three fatalities; two additional victims were injured and are receiving medical care. We are working closely with the families of the victims, and we will share additional details as soon as we are able… 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.”

UVA Police Chief Tim Longo also took to the podium during the aforementioned press conference to reveal that Jones is now in custody. In addition, he stated that the suspect was investigated by authorities last year after a claim was made about him being in possession of a firearm: “Through the course of the threat assessment team’s investigation, we learned of a prior criminal incident involving a concealed weapon violation that occurred outside the city of Charlottesville in February of 2021.” He was also said to have been involved in a hazing incident, although that investigation was eventually closed due to uncooperative witnesses. You can watch the press conference in full below.