Arrest Made For Blue Ridge Parkway Shooting

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Updated at 5:15 p.m.


VERONA — Authorities this afternoon arrested a man suspected in the double-shooting on the Blue Ridge Parkway Monday night.

Augusta County Sheriff Randy Fisher said Ralph Leon Jackson, 56, was arrested on attempted capital murder and attempted murder charges and related firearm charges in connection to the shootings of Charlottesville disc jockey Tim Davis, 27, and Christina Floyd, 18, of Palmyra.

“The public can breathe somewhat easier,“ Fisher said of the arrest.

Davis remains in critical condition and Floyd is in fair condition, Fisher said.

Authorities said Jackson, a married mechanic, fired shotgun blasts at the victims as they watched the sunset off the Blue Ridge Parkway, 10 miles from the Afton entrance, at Rock Point Overlook. The shooting launched a manhunt that pulled in resources from Virginia State Police, the FBI, the National Park Service and other jurisdictions.

Sheriff’s deputies, state police and federal agents combed the region Tuesday and Wednesday seeking the suspect, whom authorities described as a white man of medium build with long, gray hair and who they said fled in what might have been a red Ford Taurus. Numerous sightings came to authorities based on those descriptions.

The arrest was made around 3:15 p.m. on Howardsville Turnpike in Stuarts Draft, which connects to the parkway.

Monika Mayr, deputy superintendent of the parkway, said she was happy the arrest was made without incident.

“We’ve been getting a lot of calls, you know, is it safe to go on the parkway?,” Mayr said. “Rangers have been on high alert, naturally.”