An Albemarle County judge sentenced Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. Friday to five life terms plus 23 years for the Nov. 13, 2022, murders of three student-athletes and the wounding of two others on the Grounds of the University of Virginia, concluding a legal saga that began with his arrest about 12 hours after the shootings and stretched for three years in the courts.
The sentence came at the conclusion of five days of testimony, including statements from the families and friends of Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry and Lavel “Tyler” Davis Jr., who filled half the courtroom each day. Jones’ responsibility for the shootings was not in question; he pleaded guilty to murder and related charges a year ago. The weeklong hearing was to determine the prison sentence he would face.
The three student-athletes, all members of the football team, were on a charter bus with two dozen other students returning from a field trip to see a play in Washington. Jones opened fire as the bus was parking near the Culbreth garage.
One by one, mothers, brothers, sisters and other relatives told Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Higgins about the “life sentence” of pain and heartache they will endure.
Happy Perry, mother of D’Sean Perry, recounted how her son called each night at 10 p.m. to ensure she’d made it home safely from work. He placed what would be his final call from the bus minutes before the gunfire.
These Virginia Athletics portraits of Chandler, Davis and Perry are the images the family members chose to submit to the court, saying they most represent the joy, pride and spirit of the three student-athletes. (Virginia Athletics photos)
The mother told the judge her final words to her son were, “I love you, handsome.” He replied, “I love you, too, Mom.”
The shooting wounded two other former students, Mike Hollins and Marlee Morgan, who both recovered. Hollins went on to play a final season of football while earning a master’s degree and is now a member of the team’s coaching staff. Morgan, a track-team manager at the time, attained her dream of joining the team a year after she was shot. She graduated in May from the McIntire School of Commerce and is pursuing a graduate degree. Both earned local and national recognition for their perseverance and spoke in court about their experiences that night, as well as the long-term impact on their lives.
The tragedy traumatized other passengers on the bus, as well as the University community that endured an hours-long lockdown as law enforcement officials searched for and eventually apprehended Jones.
The judge also heard from professor Theresa M. Davis – or “Lady T” as her students referred to her in court – who organized the outing and invited students from her theater and social-justice classes to attend. She told the judge, as did several of the passengers, no one on the bus had bothered Jones, who largely kept to himself during the trip.
Several UVA administrators, including football coach Tony Elliott, Director of Athletics Carla Williams; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jennifer “J.J.” Wagner Davis; Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer Kenyon Bonner; and Vice President of Communications Dave Martel, were fixtures in the courtroom throughout the week, offering support to the families and survivors.
Dozens of UVA students, faculty and staff members join the student-athletes’ families for a memorial walk on Nov. 13, 2025, marking the third anniversary of the shootings on Grounds. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)
The main point of contention between defense and prosecution throughout the sentencing was Jones’ state of mind in the period before, during and immediately following the shooting. Jones’ defense team offered multiple witnesses who testified to a decline in Jones’ mental health during that time. A forensic psychologist reported Jones was suffering from serious mental illness and paranoia.
The prosecution, however, portrayed Jones as becoming increasingly lawless. Jones had begun using and selling drugs near his Petersburg home, was charged with a hit and run, and was caught carrying a concealed handgun.
“This was not a freak, psychotic episode,” prosecutor Richard Farley said of the shootings in his closing argument. “This was a criminal episode.”
Police body camera footage from the night of the shooting shows Jones, having discarded the firearm and identifying clothing, feigning shock at the events when an officer stopped him to ask if he had heard gunshots or been on the bus. After Jones denied involvement, the officer released him.
Higgins, in sentencing Jones to the maximum for the shootings, said she was influenced in part by how Jones fatally shot the three student-athletes while they were either defenseless or sleeping, saying no one on the bus presented a threat to him. Hollins, she noted, was running from Jones when Jones shot him in the back.
UVA interim President Paul Mahoney said the case’s conclusion is a milestone in the healing process, but the tragedy will never be forgotten.
“Today’s sentencing of Christopher Jones is another step in the long and difficult recovery from the terrible crimes he committed,” Mahoney said. “The UVA community remains united in mourning the loss and celebrating the lives of Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry, and in standing with those who were most closely affected by this tragedy.”
