You are working on Staging1

Virginia Swimmers & Staff are Safe and Accounted for Amid Ongoing Campus Shooting Event

Braden Keith
by Braden Keith 54

November 14th, 2022 ACC, College, News

Update: the suspect was taken into custody around 11:30 AM Eastern Time by Virginia police. All three individuals killed in the shooting on Sunday have been confirmed as Virginia football players. Virginia president Jim Ryan said the shooting occurred on a bus full of students returning from a field trip to see a play in Washington, D.C. Two of the players were found dead on the bus, and one was pronounced dead at the medical center.

Staff and team members from the University of Virginia swimming & diving programs are all safe and accounted for amid an ongoing shooting event on campus, SwimSwam has been told on Monday morning.

Classes were canceled Monday a day after three were shot and killed on campus around 10:30 PM on Sunday, while 2 others were injured. The shooter, who is still at-large, has been identified by university president Jim Ryan as former University of Virginia football player Christopher Darnell Jones Jr.

Jones, who is a current student at Virginia, was a member of the football team as a freshman in 2018, but did not play in any games, according to his online bio.

All three victims who were killed have been confirmed as members of the football team. Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry, and Devin Chandler have been named by family members on social media as those killed by the shooter.

The latest information from university president Jim Ryan:

Police say that Jones was last seen wearing a burgundy jacket and blue jeans and red shoes, driving a black SUV with a Virginia license plate reading TWX3580.

54
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

54 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Joel Lin
1 year ago

In these tragic moments what comes next is a tragic walk-forward of whataboutas & other garden variety horrid reasons for carrying high capacity rifles around in civic life. Remarkably it on the steps of The Rotunda at UVa where none other than James Madison (you know, the guy who wrote the Constitution & the Bill of Rights) was the swing vote as a member of UVA’s Board of Regents to pass a proposition forwarded by Thomas Jefferson (former President & one the the vaunted founders/originalists? yeah, same guy) to ban firearms in the academical village of UVa. Here’s the citation:

https://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/founders/default.xqy?keys=FOEA-print-04-02-02-4598

The entire not infringed adults playing with finger paint interpretation devined as never… Read more »

Go Kamminga Go
Reply to  Joel Lin
1 year ago

Me reading the news: school shooting

Me: oh, just another day in good ole America 🇺🇲

Andrew Lardieri
1 year ago

Thank the lord the swimmers are safe from this atrocity. Hopefully UVA’s regular operations etc. will resume soon. What a tragedy:( Poor cavaliers.

WestCoastRefugee
1 year ago

Before we get all wrapped up in the gun control debate let’s please take a moment to address some major problems in this story. This is a tragedy that in all likelihood could have been easily prevented and my fear is that everyone will get caught up in the gun control debate and not ask the tough questions of the University of Virginia and start making changes now. The suspect in the shooting was already on the radar of the police and once again it’s a failure of our officials to connect the dots and protect us from senseless violence like this. Here we have a situation where a young man already had a criminal record one of which involved… Read more »

WestCoastRefugee
Reply to  Braden Keith
1 year ago

To clarify your clarification:

  1. He should have been expelled from UVA the minute they found out about the concealed conviction. Because a.) he didn’t disclose it as required under the honor code at UVA, and b.) because it was a gun charge. Also, the laws that were stuck down in other states are immaterial to this conversation because the concealed carry laws in Virginia are “shall issue” which is the basis of the issue with the other states. There is no conflict in Virginia with the SC decision.
  2. You are missing the point on the “police radar”. The point is with a little digging, the PD would have found out about the CW conviction 6/21 and would have
… Read more »

WestCoastRefugee
Reply to  Braden Keith
1 year ago

http://ewsocis1.courts.state.va.us/CJISWeb/MainMenu.do Search under Petersburg Circuit. Misdemeanor reckless and Felony leaving the scene of an accident…so actually I was wrong, he has three suspended sentences, and not one day of jail time. And, btw “Also, it’s easy to say that the university should eliminate due process, but pragmatically, that’s not as easy as it sounds”….Virginia has a red flag law which should have certainly been triggered here, not to mention that the discovery of the gun charge should have led to (at the minimum) a temporary suspension which is authorized by the by-laws of UVA.

lefthandup
Reply to  WestCoastRefugee
1 year ago

Pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor. So, not a felony.

SKOOOOOO
Reply to  Braden Keith
1 year ago

So you want him to have due process but we should immediately take guns away from lawful gun owners? That makes sense.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  WestCoastRefugee
1 year ago

In your ideal world, everyone will be accompanied by a cop for 12 hours a day. For the other 12, you are the cop.

Only then will our guns truly be free.

Go Kamminga Go
Reply to  Steve Nolan
1 year ago

Guns are free, people are not.

Sounds like America way of life to me

Lpman
1 year ago

I cannot for the life of me figure out why people cannot look at the constitution as a fluid document. That’s why there are amendments.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Lpman
1 year ago

A shocking amount of American civic life is based on fairy tales and myopia.

“The American system of government is the greatest ever created, has been since its inception and will be forever; there is no other system but ours.”

Last edited 1 year ago by Steve Nolan
Old Swim Coach
1 year ago

My condolences to all family, friends, and teammates of the victims.

Senseless.

2Fat4Speed
1 year ago

As Americans we will continue to do nothing about gun violence. We always have blame to assign and fear to monger all while people die just like the day before.

WestCoastRefugee
Reply to  2Fat4Speed
1 year ago

We could start by enforcing the existing gun laws on the books. If you haven’t noticed, many localities have gone extremely lax on consequences for crimes committed with guns. There are countless articles on people committing gun violence that shouldn’t have been on the streets in the first place.

NoFastTwitch
Reply to  WestCoastRefugee
1 year ago

Most of the mass shootings in this country, including Uvalde, involved guns that were legally obtained. Look it up – according to the NYT, 77% of mass shooters between 1966 and 2019 obtained the guns through legal purchases. I’m all for enforcing existing gun laws, but the mass shootings will continue here as long as people can buy guns so easily. If you think otherwise, you’re fooling yourself…

WestCoastRefugee
Reply to  NoFastTwitch
1 year ago

And a large amount of those legal gun purchases had HUGE red flags. The dude in Uvalde did everything but sit on a street corner with a 3×5 telling people what he was going to do.

Last edited 1 year ago by WestCoastRefugee
NoFastTwitch
Reply to  WestCoastRefugee
1 year ago

So WCR, you agree we should impose and enforce stricter laws in purchasing guns? It sounds like that’s what you’re saying. A mandatory, comprehensive background check, denying sales to individuals who have made threats or committed violent acts – and the time for the seller to complete such a check? I think the guy who sold him the guns did everything he was required to do by law.

WestCoastRefugee
Reply to  NoFastTwitch
1 year ago

I can’t speak for all states, but Virginia already requires all of the things you mentioned.

NoFastTwitch
Reply to  WestCoastRefugee
1 year ago

Great. I wish all states had at least the gun sales restrictions currently in place in Virginia. Do you agree? After they were passed in 2020, former President Trump tweeted “Liberate Virginia, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!” That kind of thinking is why we continue to have lax gun sales laws elsewhere – and why a 18 yr old in Texas was able to legally buy two AR rifles and 375 rounds of 5.65 caliber ammunition before shooting up an elementary school in Uvalde.

Mathrunswim
Reply to  NoFastTwitch
1 year ago

Restricting gun sales is one possible way to reduce gun violence, but it is at least conceivable that we might strike closer to the root of the problem by trying to improve mental health throughout the culture. A few ideas:

  • Ranked choice voting tends to support less extremism.
  • Better funding for education from pre-school through college creates a healthier experience for students, parents, and educators. (Together those three groups make up about half the population.)
  • Closing some tax loopholes and a somewhat higher rate for corporations and high earners would fund government while making us less winner-take-all.
  • Greater taxes on products that research consistently shows are unhealthy: tobacco, alcohol, social media
  • Greater investment in public facilities that
… Read more »

Did not Cali UT
Reply to  WestCoastRefugee
1 year ago

Don’t confuse him with the facts.

Ghost
1 year ago

University of Idaho had 4 students murdered in their off campus housing this weekend too. And I think they have a swim team too! Thoughts and prayers for all deaths at schools!

Former Big10
Reply to  Ghost
1 year ago

the thoughts and prayers don’t do anything. did you make a difference by voting?

Nonrevhoofan
Reply to  Former Big10
1 year ago

As a matter of fact, I did. But what does that have to do with having compassion for those who are currently suffering? We are likely on the same side when it comes to gun control, but offers of condolence are appropriate now; political action is appropriate, too, just not prior to addressing the immediate impact of the current tragedy.

Former Big10
Reply to  Nonrevhoofan
1 year ago

You’re right. These circumstances make many, including myself, irate. As US citizen, waking up to these headlines, often many times a month, is exhausting. Seeing people say “my condolences”, “thoughts and prayers”, is losing value.
Mostly because many of these situations are completely avoidable.
Apologies for coming across as crass.

VOTE
Reply to  Ghost
1 year ago

If you’re suggesting that SS did something wrong here, there’s definitely a different level of newsworthiness on a swimming website for an active shooter at UVA vs. what happened in Idaho (which we have no idea what happened)

Last edited 1 year ago by VOTE
Jimbob
Reply to  VOTE
1 year ago

I think he’s saying they SS used this as click bait. This guy only went street football players he knew from his time on the football team and saw around campus. Swimmers were not in danger.

Media Savvy
Reply to  Jimbob
1 year ago

People like to say “clickbait” to make themselves feel savvy, but ironically, it’s used wrong 80% of the time, which makes you supes unsavvy.

Didn’t Branden say that they didn’t know the victims were football players when it was published?

Katie
Reply to  Media Savvy
1 year ago

FWIW – which I acknowledge is nearly nothing – the first information I heard about this tragic incident was that the shooter targeted “athletes.” In light of that rumor, I understand the swimming community circulating the news that all of the UVA swimmers were safe.

swimapologist
Reply to  Ghost
1 year ago

1) Let’s discuss “murder” because it’s pretty clear to me that Idaho was a drug overdose
2) No one is in custody and the police department said it “does not believe there is an ongoing community risk.”
3) What a weird comment
4) What is your bone? You always seem to be picking it in the comments.

Katie
Reply to  swimapologist
1 year ago

The victims have stab wounds…

BearlyBreathing
1 year ago

Good guy with a gun was off today, authorities say

Swimmer209
Reply to  BearlyBreathing
1 year ago

Don’t turn this tragedy political

BearlyBreathing
Reply to  Swimmer209
1 year ago

It was political the moment the ink dried on the 2nd Amendment.
Don’t tell me — it’s too soon?
How about too soon for VaTech? Uvalde?
Have a dose of thoughts and prayers. I’m sure that will take care of everything.

Last edited 1 year ago by BearlyBreathing
HeadTimer
Reply to  BearlyBreathing
1 year ago

It’s not too soon. Obviously, it’s too late.

Ferb
Reply to  BearlyBreathing
1 year ago

So, to clarify, are you advocating for giving organized crime a monopoly on guns? You might want to read a history of the 18th amendment (Prohibition), and the rate of violent crime during the time it was law.

conquistadores
Reply to  Ferb
1 year ago

Other than the fact that you’re politically conservative (now having shown a pattern between this and your Lia T comments), I’m not sure I follow what point you’re trying to make here? Everyone still had guns during Prohibition. There was tons of gun violence, driven by organized crime, as you say.

The result was proposals to ban fully automatic guns. Sound familiar? They stayed away from it not because of 2A, but because of interstate commerce, ironically enough.

Instead they produced the country’s first national gun laws, which were SUPPORTED BY THE NRA.

Winkler, the author and UCLA law professor, notes that when the then-president of the NRA, Karl Frederick, was asked to testify before Congress, he said “he had

… Read more »

Ferb
Reply to  conquistadores
1 year ago

The point is that the gun trade isn’t going away anymore than the alcohol trade did. More restrictive gun laws simply create more opportunity for criminal organizations to fill the void, just as they did with alcohol.

lefthandup
Reply to  Ferb
1 year ago

I’ma call you STREEEEEETTTTCCHHHH Armstrong from now on because that’s a reach.

this guy
Reply to  BearlyBreathing
1 year ago

“Good guy with gun” knows the laws and that it’s illegal to carry on a college campus. Thus, making your grandstanding comment inaccurate.

mahaney
Reply to  this guy
1 year ago

get a load of this guy

Cinderblock
Reply to  BearlyBreathing
1 year ago

It’s a college campus bro are you serious

Coachy
Reply to  BearlyBreathing
1 year ago

Good point. We should mandate everyone carry to protect the people. An armed society is a polite society.

HeadTimer
Reply to  Coachy
1 year ago

Farthest thing from it. More guns than any other affluent country, more shootings. More deaths. Your comment may be the most hardcore, tone deaf thing I’ve ever read here, and that’s saying something.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

Read More »