University of Virginia shooting suspect appears in court

The University of Virginia student accused of opening fire on a school bus after a field trip last month, fatally shooting three school football players and injuring two other students, appeared in court Thursday.

Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., 23, sat quietly as Judge Kenneth Andrew Sneathern scheduled a preliminary hearing for witnesses to testify on March 30, the Associated Press reported.

Prosecutor James Hingeley said the state plans to call a large number of witnesses for the judge to listen to before deciding whether there is probable cause to send Jones' case to a grand jury.

Public Defender Liz Murtagh did not comment and Jones has not entered a plea.

Jones, a former Virginia football player, allegedly shot and killed Lavel Davis Jr., D'Sean Perry and Devin Chandler and wounded two other students on a charter bus after watching a play in Washington, D.C. The campus went into lockdown for 12 hours as a manhunt for Jones ensued.