Shooting on Culbreth Road

Shots were reportedly fired at 10:32 pm the night of Sunday, November 13. These reports indicate that the shots were fired at the Culbreth parking garage, located directly next to the architecture school and very close to several student residences.

One suspect was “reported” very shortly thereafter. UVA Alerts advised that everyone shelter in place at 10:39 pm, followed by a subsequent message at 10:43 pm warning of an active attacker with a firearm on Culbreth Road, along with the note to “RUN HIDE FIGHT”. This story is ongoing, and information only comes directly from UVA’s community alerts.

At 11:07 pm, the suspect was described as wearing a burgundy hoodie with jeans and red shoes; this alert was recent at 12:36 am. From listening to Charlottesville Police, it can be deduced that the suspect was on the Corner, up and down 14th street, briefly on Wertland, and was even inside Grandmarc apartment complex for a period of time. Speculation regarding the suspect’s identity has been circulated, though there has been no confirmation at this time. Clemons Library remains on lockdown. There have been no reports of further gunshots after the first community alert at 10:32 pm.

As of Monday morning at 1:42 am, UVA Alert has sent 23 mass emails to the student body, many of which containing the description of the suspect. Three hours after the first shots were fired, the suspect remains at large. Police believe they have confirmed the suspect’s identity at this time.

In addition to community alerts, the Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer sent an email at 1:16 am, advising all students to shelter in place, and get inside if they have not already.

A UVA Alert from 1:49 am reveals the driver may be driving a black SUV with a Virginia license plate that reads “TWX3580.”

As of 2:56 am, multiple police department agencies, including a Virginia state police helicopter, were actively searching for the suspect, who is still believed to be armed and dangerous.

The search continued through the night, as UVA students have now received 55 UVA Alerts; may of them through the night were simply repeats of earlier messages with the suspect’s description and a reminder to shelter in place. At 4:35 am, President Jim Ryan sent a message to the UVA community about the situation. Ryan writers, “As of this writing, I am heartbroken to report that the shooting has resulted in three fatalities; two additional victims were injured and are receiving medical care. We are working closely with the families of the victims, and we will share additional details as soon as we are able. Our University Police Department has joined forces with other law enforcement agencies to apprehend the suspect, and we will keep our community apprised of developments as the situation evolves.” Ryan is also “devastated that this violence has visited the University of Virginia.”

At 5:50 am, the police announced they were doing a full-sweep on and around Grounds, advising to continue to shelter in place. As of 9:33 am, the search of Grounds was still ongoing; classes have been cancelled for the day.

At 10:10 am, helicopters could be heard circling Grounds.

At 10:35 am, the shelter in place was lifted after a thorough search on and around Grounds, according to a message from UVA Alerts. A large police presence will remain.

At 11:00 am, Jim Ryan and Timothy J. Longo held a press conference. Jim Ryan gave his condolences to the deceased and their families, before passing the stand to Timothy J. Longo. Timothy J. Longo mentioned that the suspect had been reported as owning a firearm in September. This report was not made in conjunction with a threat. The Office of Student Affairs tried to follow up with both the suspect and the suspect’s roommate, but no clear result came of this interaction.

Mid-press conference, Longo was interrupted mid-sentence by “Captain;” ensuingly, Longo announced that the suspect was in custody. This was at 11:13 am Monday morning. Longo and the police do not know where the suspect was found, only that it was not on Grounds. Longo does not know how the suspect escaped last night.

The Jefferson Independent continues to monitor the situation.