CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WRIC) — The man accused of murdering three people and injuring two others in a tragic shooting on the University of Virginia campus in November 2022 was seen in court Monday morning.
Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. was in Albemarle General District Court at 11:30 a.m. where he waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the charges against him, according to CBS19 News.
Jones faces ten charges, including three second-degree murder charges, five charges for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and two charges for malicious bodily injury after police say he opened fire, shooting and killing three University football players — Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler — and injuring two other students — Marlee Morgan and Michael Hollins — on a charter bus returning from a field trip on Nov. 13.
The 23-year-old murder suspect first appeared in court in person on Dec. 8, at which time his preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 30, 2023. That hearing was continued and was later set for Aug. 21, although according to CBS19 News, Jones waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday morning.
Jones originally told the judge he planned to hire his own attorney and was appointed Public Defender Liz Murtagh in the interim. As of 8:10 a.m. on Aug. 21, court documents stated Jones was to be represented by a public defender.
