UVA delaying release of shooting report
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- An external report concerning the Nov. 13, 2022, shooting at the University of Virginia will not be released to the public just yet.
On Friday, UVA President Jim Ryan and other leaders announced a delay in the release of the report, citing concerns about the report’s potential impact on the criminal trial against the suspect.
“Since we received the reports from the external review in October, a team of University leaders has worked to assess and learn from the reports and evaluate when to share information from the reports publicly,” Ryan said. “After conferring with counselors and Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Hingeley, we have decided that we need to wait until after the criminal proceedings to release further information. Making the reports public at this time, or even releasing a summary of their findings and recommendations, could have an impact on the criminal trial of the accused, either by disrupting the case being prepared by the Albemarle County Commonwealth’s Attorney, or by interfering with the defendant’s right to a fair trial before an impartial jury.”
According to a release, Ryan and other UVA leaders say they recognize that people are waiting for more information regarding the events of that night, but they want to be sure that information can be provided without interfering with a criminal proceeding.
Hingeley is leading the prosecution of Christopher Darnell Jones, who is facing multiple charges, including murder, for the shooting.
Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry, and Lavel Davis Jr. were killed that night while Mike Hollins and Marlee Morgan were injured and have since recovered.
“I am grateful to President Ryan, Rector [Robert] Hardie, and their teams for their consideration as we continue to prosecute this important case,” Hingeley said. “The reports in question are subject to attorney-client privilege between the University and the attorney general and I have not seen them. With that being said, I appreciate the University’s efforts to avoid taking any action that could complicate the prosecution of the accused, Christopher Jones, or impair his right to a fair and impartial trial.”
UVA leaders received the results of the external review from Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office on Oct. 20, and UVA says it will release a final redacted version once the criminal proceedings have ended.
Since the shooting, UVA has made various changes in order to better identify and mitigate public safety threats.
The release says these changes include expanding the resources and capacity of the UVA Threat Assessment Team, revising policies to require immediate notice to the UVA Police Department about a firearm on Grounds, adjusting case-management practices, and more.
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