CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The University of Virginia (UVA) released two external reports on the 2022 campus shooting that left three student athletes dead and two other students wounded.
The student gunman, Christopher Jones, pleaded guilty last November to three counts of first degree murder and two counts of aggravated malicious wounding. Killed in the shooting were Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry, and Devin Chandler, all of whom were former football teammates of Jones.
The attack happened on a charter bus in a parking garage on UVA’s campus on Nov. 13, 2022. The students were returning from a class field trip to see a play in Washington, D.C. when Jones allegedly opened fire and then fled.
Firms Hired to Review UVA Threat Assessment Team, Police Response
The shooting prompted the outside reviews of UVA’s safety policies and procedures. The investigations were conducted by two law firms, Inside Higher Ed reports. The report from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP focused on UVA’s threat assessment protocols while the report from Vinson & Elkins LLP focused on police response to the shooting. Both reports, which total nearly 200 pages, are heavily redacted due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
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An attorney for some of the victims’ families previously said the school should have removed Jones from campus before the shooting because he had exhibited several warning flags. Prior to the shooting, Jones was being investigated by the school’s Threat Assessment Team (TAT) for making concerning comments about firearms.
The Quinn Emanuel report found that while the university has “a foundation for a successful threat assessment program,” there was a “lack of defined scope of University authority.” The report offers recommendations for improving threat assessments, including more properly allocating resources, improving intake and assessment processes, assigning a full-time threat assessment liaison officer, prioritizing weapons-related concerns, reinforcing support services for students in distress, and improving the incident management and referral system.
The Vinson & Elkins report said UVA campus police’s response to the shooting was an overall success but offered eight recommendations for responding to active threats, including ensuring active shooter alerts are sent out promptly, creating a plan to improve campuswide searches, and establishing a permanent emergency operations center that can activate immediately during an emergency.
What Safety Improvements Have Been Made at UVA?
In its announcement that the reports were completed, UVA also outlined several steps it has taken to improve campus safety.
“While the release of the reports has been contingent on the conclusion of the criminal proceedings, the fact of the matter is we have not stood still,” said UVA Rector Robert Hardie. “With sorrow for the tragic loss of life that the families and our community have experienced and resolve that they never be forgotten, the University has taken significant steps to enhance the safety of Grounds.”
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Improvements include:
- Expanded TAT resources to include two full-time, licensed psychologists to serve as the associate and assistant directors of the Office of Threat Assessment; two response specialists; Housing & Residence Life representation; and a Victim Advocate/Threat Assessment Team liaison from the University Police Department
- Established an Office of Threat Assessment to more effectively lead the Violence Prevention Committee and execute the case management recommendations of the TAT
- Enhanced TAT operating procedures and training opportunities, including the immediate investigation by the University Police Division if a firearm is reported to be on Grounds or in the possession of an individual who lives on Grounds.
- Increased training and staff awareness on entering a dorm room to inspect for health and safety-related concerns.
- Approved a permanent Emergency Operations Center to allow the University to activate the center without delay in response to emergency events.
- Reorganized Student Affairs support resources – now known as the Care and Support Services, and Policy, Accountability and Critical Events units – to better discuss, review, triage and respond to student concerns and any necessary disciplinary actions.
Last year, UVA also agreed to pay $9 million to the victims and victims’ families, acknowledging that the gunman was on their radar before the fatal shooting.
