Seventeen-year-old T.J. Lane was repeatedly described as an outcast and bullied by some students in Chardon, Ohio. After growing up in a broken family and abusive family, T.J. would later fall into the custody of his grandparents. Some two years ago, T.J. had some undisclosed involvement with the juvenile courts.
At approximately 7:40 a.m., Lane wordlessly opened fire on a table of five students seated a table away from him in Chardon High School cafeteria. Two of the students escaped the table with just a grazed ear from one of them, Nate Mueller. The other three seated at the table; Nick Walczak, Demetrius Hewlin, and Russell King, were all three shot. One witness believes Lane had targeted that table relating to being picked on or bullied.
Daniel Parmertor had attempted to seek shelter under a table as oppose to fleeing. Parmertor would be gunned down where he hid, later succumbing to his fatal injuries.
Lane then proceeded out of the cafeteria; apparently collected, calm, and still silent.
What then occurred is the strategic closing off and black-out of the school, a tactic that is designed to minimize casualties by lowering visible targets and making the only easily accessible direction the way out. Students are gathered into classrooms, class doors closed, and students are prohibited from talking or using phones.
Witnesses say there were additional shots fired as Lane proceeded to leave the school. Teachers report dragging injured student Walczak into one of the classrooms as he staggered from the cafeteria.
One girl, Joy Rickers, was shot but not fatally. It has yet to be determined where in the school she was to have been shot.
As Lane made his way through Chardon High School, the school’s football coach Frank Hall pursued the student in an effort to protect students. Hall chased Lane out and well away from the school as police and fire departments began to move into action.
Lane would be captured a few miles from Chardon High School shortly after.
Of the injured: Daniel Parmertor (16) would fall victim to the severity of his wounds, never recovering. Nick Walczak (17) after being shot several times, did manage to stabilize. Demetrius Hewlin (17) is still struggling on life support. Joy Rickers (18) was struck in her backside and is assumed to make a full recovery. Russell King (17) was pronounced brain dead last night.