The University of Virginia will pay $9 million to settle with families of victims of a 2022 campus shooting that killed three college football players and two others, attorneys representing some of the victims and their families announced Friday. Students were injured.
Kimberly Wald, an attorney representing some of the families, said the school will provide legal aid to D’Sean Perry, Devin Chandler and LaVell Davis Jr. (Lavel Davis Jr.’s family paid $2 million each, the maximum allowed under Virginia law.
A total of $3 million will also be paid to two injured students – Mike Hollins and Marlee Morgan, both quarterbacks on the football team.
However, some families are not satisfied and are demanding the immediate release of an independent investigation into the shooting that was completed last year. The investigation focused on the university’s efforts to assess potential threats from the suspect, a student who was ultimately charged with murder, as well as recommendations uncovered during the investigation.
Murder charges upgraded in University of Virginia football player shooting
University of Virginia football players Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry. (University of Virginia Track and Field Team)
Police identified the shooter as Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., a student at the University of Virginia and a former member of the school’s football team.
Wald, who represents Perry’s estate, said the school should have removed the shooter from the campus before the attack because his behavior was erratic and showed multiple red flags.
“Today’s settlement is just a small step for these families – there is still much work to be done,” Wald said. “If we can learn one lesson, even one lesson, from this report, we need to know it now… … We need to protect lives now.”
University officials delayed the report’s release last year out of concern it could affect the suspect’s upcoming trial.
“We are committed to providing this information as quickly as possible without interfering with the criminal proceedings in any way,” UVA President Jim Ryan said at the time.
Wald said the settlement was negotiated outside court and not after the lawsuit was filed. But every settlement in Virginia must be approved by a judge, and an Albemarle County Circuit Court judge accepted the settlement Friday afternoon.
The agreements also were approved by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miares, the university said in a statement.
UVA football player Michael Hollins Jr. was one of two victims who survived the shooting, which also killed three of his teammates. (Virginia Knights Official Athletic Website)
University of Virginia President Robert Hardy and Chancellor Ryan said in a statement Friday that the lives of the three students killed were “tragically cut short” and that the victims “are always in our thoughts.”
“We will always remember the impact Devin, Lavelle and DeShawn had on our community, and we are grateful for the time they spent with us in the classroom and on the football field, elevating UVA,” the statement said. explain.
According to authorities, the shooting occurred when the suspect was returning to campus from a field trip to Washington to attend a performance.
The incident, which occurred near a car park, sparked panic and the campus was placed on lockdown for 12 hours until the suspect was taken into custody. Jones Jr. is scheduled to go on trial in January on murder and other charges.
Days after the shooting, university officials sought an outside review to examine campus security policies and procedures, the university’s response to the shooting and previous efforts to assess potential threats from the suspect. School officials acknowledged Jones Jr. had previously come to the attention of the school’s threat assessment team.
The university initially said the report, which was completed in October, would be released in November, but changed its stance over concerns it would jeopardize the suspect’s trial.
UVA shooting survivor speaks out for first time since 3 football teammates killed on bus: ‘I lost a brother’
University of Virginia Police have released a photo of Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., named as a suspect in the Nov. 13, 2022, shooting on the University of Virginia campus. (University of Virginia Police/Twitter)
Click here to get the Fox News app
Perry’s mother said Friday that the report should be released immediately if it helps prevent similar shootings from happening.
“As a mother, I want to know what happened. I have a right to know what happened,” Happy Perry told reporters. “At this time, it is a matter of public safety and national security that we receive this report.”
Hollins’ mother said she had mixed emotions following Friday’s settlement. She also explained the grief and change felt by all the victims’ families.
“You smile and you can keep going throughout the day,” Brenda Hollins said. “But then it creeps up on you. If you don’t deal with it then, it will eat you up.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
