November 13, 2022, should have been a normal day for most University of Virginia (UVA) students– except it was not. A mass shooting took place on that Sunday in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which three people were killed and two severely injured. Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry, and Lavel Davis Jr, who were tragically murdered, were members of the UVA football team and a large part of the university’s campus spirit. The other victims who sustained injuries were hospitalized but were able to recover. The suspect was 22-year-old Christopher Darnell Jones, who was charged with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony.

The suspect had allegedly opened fire while on a charter bus that had returned to UVA from a class trip to Washington, DC. The other five passengers on the bus with him gave witness reports stating that the suspect was sulking and unusually quiet. Upon reaching Charlottesville, Jones allegedly pulled out the firearm and attacked students in what some say was a targeted attempt. Many were able to evacuate the bus, but the shooter still killed three people in the vehicle at the time. Students at UVA were ordered to shelter in place as a Charlottesville-wide manhunt was put into effect. Jones was finally taken into custody on November 14 after he was found in Henrico County.

Sanjana Murugavel, alumna of Maggie Walker’s class of 2022 and current freshman at UVA, said, “I had never expected such an event to happen, especially at a fairly [secluded] school like UVA.” Her sentiment has been expressed by many students according to several surveys conducted after the tragedy, as students were caught by surprise at the events which transpired. Furthermore, Murugavel also applauded the commemoration efforts done by the community, stating that “the speed and effort with which the student body immediately rose up to provide support was incredible.” Several locals and students have shown their support to those who lost their lives by holding a vigil around the statue of Homer in Charlottesville, organizing a 5K run, and more. UVA also paused all classes for the next two days, resuming on the 16th.

On a national scale, the shooting has once again raised questions on gun policies in not only Virginia but all of the United States. With the increase in mass shootings in the United States over the past 10 years, gun law reform activists are emphasizing how the federal government has few laws that monitor the distribution and sale of firearms. Thus, there have been pushes to introduce federal legislation on gun control, seen particularly after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting; however, these have proven futile. The debate on whether guns should be restricted continues, with the UVA shooting only becoming another topic of discourse.