UVA asks for independent probe into events leading up to Sunday's deadly campus shooting

RICHMOND — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has accepted the University of Virginia's request to open an external and independent investigation into the events that led to the deadly shooting attack Nov. 13 on campus.

In an email early Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for Attorney General Jason Miyares said the office will work "with deliberate speed" on the request from UVA. administration and Board of Visitors, and that report will be made public "at the appropriate time."

"The Office of the Attorney General, at the request of the University of Virginia and its Board of Visitors, will be conducting a review of the events that led to the tragic death of three university students last Sunday evening," spokesperson Victoria LaCivita said in the email. LaCivita said Miyares will bring on a special counsel to conduct the investigation "while ensuring that all necessary resources remain devoted to the criminal investigation being conducted by state and local authorities.”

Three UVA football players were killed and two others injured after a bus in which they and other students were riding pulled into the campus' Culbreth Street garage around 10:30 p.m. Sunday. The suspect in the case is 22-year-old Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a former high school football standout at Varina and Petersburg high schools, and a former member of the Cavaliers football team.

Jones has been charged with second-degree murder, malicious wounding and firearms violations. He is being held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.

More:Former Petersburg football player is charged in deadly UVA shootings

In a letter released Thursday afternoon, UVA president James Ryan and board rector Whitt Clement asked Miyares to open the probe . from the ongoing criminal investigation. Specifically, the letter asks that the review focus on the school's response to the shooting, as well as the efforts the University undertook in the period before the tragedy to assess the potential threat Mr. Jones posed to our community."

It also asked for a review of UVA policies for public safety and any subsequent recommendations on how to improve them.

“In the wake of that tragedy, our top priority has been offering students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni the support and resources they need as they continue to grieve and process this terrible tragedy," Ryan said in a statement released by the university. “The university’s leadership and the Board of Visitors agree that the best way forward is a rigorous external review conducted by a special counsel appointed by the Virginia attorney general."

In another development, the Virginia State Police has been asked to take the lead in the shooting investigation from Charlottesville and UVA authorities.

"VSP has been engaged since the early stages of the incident in cooperation with university, local, and federal law enforcement agencies," state police spokesperson Corinne Geller said in an email. " Due to the investigation’s expansion across multiple jurisdictions, VSP is able to bring additional resources and personnel to this active and complex investigation."

Geller said the VSP's Bureau of Ciriminal Investigations field office in Appomatox County continues to work with UVA and local authorities, as well as the U.S. district attorney's office for Virginia's Western District, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The three people killed are Devin Chandler, 20, of Virginia Beach, D’Sean Perry, 22, of Miami, Fla., and Lavel Davis Jr., 20, of Ridgeville, South Carolina., was transported to UVA Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries sustained in the shooting. Their remains were transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner for autopsy and examination. Chandler and Perry died at the scene, while Davis died shortly after arrival at a local hospital.

Two others were wounded.

On Wednesday, The Progress-Index reported that Jones, the suspect in the case, bought a handgun and rifle in separate transactions earlier this year from Dance's Sporting Goods in Colonial Heights. Two previous attempts by him to buy guns in 2018 and 2021 were unsuccessful because he failed the required criminal background check for firearms purchases. It remains unclear if any of the weapons used Sunday night were the ones Jones bought in Colonial Heights.

More:Accused U.Va. shooter bought guns at Colonial Heights shop after failed earlier attempts

Geller said a search of Jones' apartment in Charlottesville resulted in the discovery of a handgun and rifle, presumbly the ones Jones purchased earlier this year. They have been sent off to ATF for evaluation.

Authorities have not yet released the caliber or type of weapon Jones is alleged to have used.

A handgun was found near the scene, but it was not immediately clear if it was connected to the shootings.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: University of Virginia wants independent probe into deadly shooting