IN SEPTEMBER OF 2022 OUR OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
REPORTED TO THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY THREAT
ASSESSMENT TEAM THAT MR. JONES, THEY RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT
MR. JONES HAD MADE A COMMENT ABOUT POSSESSING A GUN TO A
PERSON THAT WAS UNAFFILIATED WITH THE UNIVERSITY.
IN OTHER WORDS, A THIRD PARTY. THAT REPORTING PERSON, AGAIN
UNAFFILIATED WITH THE UNIVERSITY, TO BEST OF OUR
KNOWLEDGE NEVER SAW THE GUN. THE COMMENT ABOUT MR. JONES
OWNING A GUN WAS NOT MADE IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANY THREATS.
THE OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS FOLLOWED UP WITH THE REPORTING
PERSON AND MADE EFFORTS TO CONTACT MR. JONES.
IN FACT, THEY FOLLOWED UP WITH MR. JONES ROOMMATE WHO DID NOT
REPORT SEEING THE PRESENCE OF A WEAPON.
PARDON ME. >> THANK YOU, CAPTAIN.
WE JUST RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT THE SUSPECT IS IN
CUSTODY. JUST GIVING A MOMENT TO THANK
GOD. BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF.
MR. JONES ALSO HAD COME TO THE ATTENTION OF OUR THREAT
ASSESSMENT TEAM BECAUSE HE WAS INVOLVED IN A -- A HAZING
INVESTIGATION OF SOME SORT. I DON'T KNOW THE FACTS AND
CIRCUMSTANCES OF THAT INVESTIGATION.
I KNOW THAT IT WAS EVENTUALLY CLOSED DUE TO WITNESSES THAT
WOULD NOT COOPERATE WITH THE PROCESS.
BUT THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE THREAT ASSESSMENT TEAM'S
INVESTIGATION WE LEARNED OF A PRIOR CRIMINAL INCIDENT
INVOLVING A CONCEALED WEAPON INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED OUTSIDE
OF THE CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE IN FEBRUARY OF 2021.
WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT THIS CASE IS HE'S REQUIRED AS A
STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA TO REPORT THAT AND HE
NEVER DID. AND SO THE UNIVERSITY HAS TAKEN
APPROPRIATE ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY'S
JUDICIARY COUNCIL AND THAT MATTER IS STILL PENDING
ADJUDICATION. I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO
SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU. TO LET YOU KNOW THAT HE HAD BEEN
CALLED TO OUR ATTENTION AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT
HAVE ABOUT THAT. I WANT YOU TO HEAR THAT.
I WANT YOU TO HEAR THAT FROM ME. NOT HEAR IT FROM SOMEONE ELSE.
SO I'LL STOP THERE AND WE'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU
MIGHT HAVE. >> WE HAVE TIME FOR A COUPLE OF
QUESTIONS. >> CAN YOU DISCUSS WHAT -- WHERE
THEY ARE GOING, WHAT IS THE AFFILIATION OF THE PEOPLE THAT
WERE ON THAT BUS AND ON THAT TRIP AND IF THE SUSPECT WAS PART
OF THAT TRIP OR STEPPED OFF OF THE BUS?
>> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. THE INFORMATION WE HAVE AT THIS
TIME THAT THE FIELD TRIP WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A CLASS AND THE
INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN NAMED WERE PART OF THAT TRIP TO SEE A
PLAY. THAT IS TO SEE A PLAY ASSOCIATED
WITH THE CLASS. SO IT WAS A CLASS FIELD TRIP.
>> WAS THE SUSPECT IN THAT CLASS?
>> I DO NOT HAVE THOSE DETAILS. >> DO YOU KNOW WHAT CLASS IT
WAS? >> I DO NOT.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE PLAY IT WAS.
>> I DO NOT. WE'RE SEEKING OUT ALL OF THAT
INFORMATION AS YOU COULD IMAGINE, THE STUDENTS ARE QUITE
TRAUMATIZED BY THE TRAGIC EVENTS.
>> I DO NOT HAVE THE EXACT LOCATION.
WE'LL FINALIZING ALL OF THAT. >> SO THE PLAY WAS IN
WASHINGTON, D.C.? >> I HAVE NOT BEEN -- SHARED
THAT INFORMATION YET AND IT WILL COME A POINT IN TIME WHEN WE
WILL SHARE THAT INFORMATION BUT NOW IS NOT THE MOST APPROPRIATE
TIME. >> [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ].
>> WE'RE NOT RELEASING INFORMATION ABOUT THE PATIENTS
WHO ARE STILL IN THE HOSPITAL AT THIS TIME.
>> [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]. >> I CAN'T SPEAK FOR STUDENT
AFFAIRS. THE UNIVERSITY OF POLICE
DEPARTMENT HAD NO CONTACT WITH THIS.
THE UNIVERSITY OF POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF MANY PEOPLE
ON THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY THREAT ASSESSMENT TEAM AND WE PROVIDE
SOME OF THE BACKGROUND WITH RESPECT TO INDIVIDUALS TO COME
BEFORE THAT TEAM BUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE WE DO NOT HAVE ANY
CONTACT WITH MR. JONES WITH REGARD TO THAT INCIDENT.
>> [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]. >> MY UNDERSTANDING IS ABOUT
BALLPARK 25. DON'T KNOW HOW HE GOT AWAY OR HE
FLED THE SCENE AND I DON'T HAVE INFORMATION AS TO HOW HE WAS
APPREHENDED. >> [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ].
>> WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT NOW.
>> [ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]. >> NOT AT THIS TIME.
>> WHEN AND WHERE DID THE THIRD VICTIM DIE?
IT SAID TWO WERE FOUND DEAD ON THE BUS.
>> THIRD VICTIM WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE MEDICAL CENTER AND DIED
THERE. >> JUST A COUPLE OF MORE.
DO WE KNOW MR. JONES STATUS. AT ONE POINT HE WAS ON THE THE
FOOTBALL TEAM. HE WAS STILL A STUDENT HERE AS
OF THIS MORNING. WAS HE STILL AFFILIATED WITH THE
FOOTBALL TEAM? >> HE WAS STILL A STUDENT BUT TO
MY KNOWLEDGE HE WAS NO LONGER ON THE FOOTBALL TEAM AND HADN'T
BEEN ON THE TEAM FOR OVER A YEAR.
>> ARE YOU ABLE TO -- >> THE TWO OTHER VICTIMS WERE
STUDENTS. >> DO YOU THE POLICE KNOW AT ALL
THE SUSPECT PRIOR TO THIS? WAS THERE ANY RELATIONSHIP?
>> I DON'T KNOW TO WHAT EXTENT THEY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH
HIM. I DON'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE.
>> YOU PERSONALLY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH SO MANY TRAGEDIES
IN YOUR TIME HERE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROCESS THIS COMMUNITY OVER
THE PAST DECADE AND HOW THIS IMPACTED ALL OF IT.
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT I BARELY HAD TIME TO PROCESS THAT TO THE
EXTENT THAT YOU SPEAK OF. COY TELL YOU THAT THE PEOPLE
STANDING BEHIND ME NOW, IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
HOW WE GET THROUGH THESE THINGS, THESE AGENCIES THAT ARE
REPRESENTED HERE WERE ON THE GROUNDS VERY QUICKLY.
I'LL TRY TO DO BETTER NEXT TIME. THAT IS ALL I HAVE FOR RIGHT
NOW. WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE AND WE
OBVIOUSLY HAVEN'T. AND WE --
>> DO YOU KNOW IF THE SUSPECT WAS FOUND ON CAMPUS OR OFF
CAMPUS AT LEAST. >> OR WHERE HE IS IN CUSTODY AT
THIS TIME OR WHO BROUGHT HIM INTO CUSTODY.
>> WOULD YOU TELL YOU TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE HE WAS NOT
FOUND ON CAMPUS. I DID NOT TELL YOU WHERE HE WAS
LOCATED OR WHERE HE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY OR WHERE HE IS
LOCATED NOW. >> STATE POLICE TAKE HIM INTO
CUSTODY. >> WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION
ON THAT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION. >> SO A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT.
YOU SAW JUST PLAYING OUT IN THE MIDST OF THIS PRESS CONFERENCE.
THEY BEGIN OVER THE SHOOTING AT UVA WITH THE POLICE AND THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY CALLING FOR HELP AND ASSISTANCE
TO LOCATE THE SUSPECT AND THEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRESS
CONFERENCE THE CHIEF OF POLICE RECEIVING WORD FROM HIS DEPUTY
THAT THE SUSPECT IS NOW IN CUSTODY.
AS WE KNOW NOW THAT ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE KILLED IN THIS
INCIDENT AND WOUNDED WERE STUDENTS INVOLVED IN THIS MASS
SHOOTING AT UVA OVERNIGHT. JON MILLER IS HERE WITH ME.
JON, IMPORTANT, THE SUSPECT IS IN CUSTODY.
THEY ARE CLEARLY NOT PREPARED TO GIVE MORE ON THAT BECAUSE THE
CLEAVE OF POLICE JUST FOUND IT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRESS
CONFERENCE. BUT THERE IS A LOT THAT WE
LEARNED ABOUT PREVIOUS INTERACTIONS AND WHAT HAPPEN AND
HOW THIS PLAYED OUT JUST NOW. >> SO WHAT WE LEARNED IS THAT
THIS IS SOMEONE THAT WAS FLAGGED AT UVA.
THIS IS A ADVANCED PROCESS WHERE THEY HAVE PEOPLE FROM STUDENT
AFFAIRS, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT,
PSYCHOLOGISTS WHO ASSESS THREATS, THE THREAT INVOLVED
SOMEBODY REPORTING CHRIS JONES HAD MADE A STATEMENT THAT HE HAD
A GUN. THEY INTERVIEWED HIS ROOMMATE
WOULD SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN A GUN.
THEY INTERVIEWED THE COMPLAINANT WHO SAID THERE WAS NO THREAT
THAT CAME WITH THE IDEA THAT HE MADE A STATEMENT ABOUT HAVING A
GUN. BUT AS WE PEEL BACK THE LAYERS,
WE SEE HE ALSO SEEMS TO HAVE AN ARREST OUTSIDE OF CAMPUS FOR AN
ILLEGAL WEAPON THE YEAR BEFORE. SO, WE'RE STARTING TO PEEL BACK
THE LAYERS OF EARLY SIGNS THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS HEADED FOR
TROUBLE. WHAT IS REMARKABLE TO ME IS THAT
ALL OF THIS CAME OUT IN THE FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE.
IN OTHER WORDS, RATHER THAN WAIT FOR TWO DAYS LATER, EARLY SIGNS
WERE MISSED, POLICE DID THIS OR THAT, FOR TIM LONGO, THE KMCHIE
OF POLICE FOR UVA TO PUT THAT OUT FRONT AND SAY I'M TELLING
YOU EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS A BIG DIFFERENCE
FROM WHAT WE SEE. IT IS A HIGH LEVEL OF
TRANSPARENCY AND I THINK THEY HAVE TO GET CREDIT FOR THAT.