UVA RB Mike Hollins' Mother Says Son Went Back to Bus to Help amid Shooting

Three University of Virginia football players were shot and killed on campus Sunday after suspected gunman and ex-Cavalier walk-on Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. allegedly opened fire on a charter bus upon returning from a class field trip to Washington, D.C. Two others were also shot and injured.

More information regarding the shooting has been revealed in recent days, including news that UVA football player Mike Hollins, who was hospitalized after being shot in the back, ran back on the bus to try to save others.

Hollins' mother, Brenda Hollins, relayed what happened to ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

The junior running back implored the driver to stop the bus after realizing what was happening and ran out with two other students. He told the students to keep running before returning to the bus to attempt to save others.

"His classmates are grateful for him because they said he saved their lives," Hollins' mother told Schlabach on Thursday. "He was the first off the bus and told two of his classmates to run, and he went back.

"He said, 'Mom, I went back. I needed to do something. I was going to beat on the windows because no one else was coming off the bus.' He said, 'I was going to beat on the windows. I was going to go on the bus and tell them to come on, get off.'"

Hollins got on the first step of the bus but was immediately confronted by Jones. Hollins turned to run, but Jones shot him in the back. A medical student who was also on the bus tended to Hollins until emergency medical personnel arrived on scene.

Per Schlabach, Hollins had emergency surgery Sunday and a follow-up surgery Tuesday.

He has been taken out of intensive care and had his ventilator removed. Hollins also walked Wednesday for the first time since the shooting.

Hollins still has months of rehabilitation remaining, but he wants to return to playing football and has one year of eligibility left. He is also scheduled to graduate in December.

The junior running back arrived at UVA in 2019 out of University Lab High School in Baton Rouge. He's gained 319 total yards and two rushing touchdowns and just had a season-high 75 yards against No. 13 UNC on Nov. 5.