T.J. Lane Shooting in Chardon Ohio - Sami Misheck

CHARDON, Ohio -- T.J. Lane will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing three students and wounding three others in the Chardon High School cafeteria Feb. 27, 2012. Before his sentence, Lane, wearing a white T-shirt with the word "killer" written across the front, said: "This hand that pulled the trigger that killed your sons now masturbates to the memory. F--- all of you.” Gasps were heard around the courtroom at that point and some in the gallery began to cry. Geauga County Common Pleas Judge David Fuhr ysentenced Lane for the slayings of Daniel Parmertor, 16; Demetrius Hewlin, 16; and Russell King Jr., 17, in a rampage that has tortured a small town and its students for the past year. Lane sat silently as the sentence was read. Defense attorney Ian Friedman says Lane plans to appeal, and has asked the court to appoint him a lawyer for that process. "The defense is deeply sorry for the families, all of the families’ pain, all of the families that have been affected by this," Friedman said. "There’s nothing we can say that’s going to lessen that. "However, my hope is that this community and the families that have been affected can at least begin to seek closure." Fuhry acknowledged before before sentencing that Lane had a "tumultuous" upbringing. But he said Lane knew what he was doing when he committed the shootings, and his lack of motive or remorse makes him dangerous. "What was the motive for this merciless rampage? The answer is we don't know," Fuhry said. "We have not been provided a clear answer, or even a murky one."It appears to the court that the defendant simply wished to make a name for himself, to make a big splash, to make front-page news." Emotional parents and family members were allowed to address Lane before sentencing. "You're really lucky there's so many police in this room," said Holly Walczak, mother of shooting victim Nick Walczak, who was left paralyzed, during her statement. Lane smiled back at her. "Because of you, our quiet little town will never be the same. Why? Why did you do it? Why?" Chardon Student Nate Mueller after TJ Lane sentencing Dina Parmertor, victim Danny Parmertor's mother, said: "You're a pathetic excuse for a human being. In fact you're not even human. You're a monster" "I want you to be ensured years and years of pain, which in my opinion is not enough. You don't deserve to take another breath while my 16-year-old son lies in the ground because of your cold, disgusting actions." "You're a weak, pathetic, vile coward." Prosecutor James Flaiz also responded, saying: "What we're dealing with is a disgusting human being. ... He still refuses to offer any explanation for why he did this. The only explanation I can offer the court is he is an evil person." Lane, 18, pleaded guilty Feb. 26 to three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder and one count of felonious assault. The plea came a day before the one-year mark of the shootings. Because he was a juvenile at the time of the shooting, he could not face the death penalty. It was up to Fuhry to determine when or if Lane would be eligible for parole. The earliest Fuhry could have set a parole hearing was in 26 years.

Besides killing Demetrius, Russell and Daniel, Lane also shot Nick Walczak, Joy Rickers and Nate Mueller. Nick is in a wheelchair because of injuries he received in the attack. Joy was treated and released from the hospital shortly after the shooting. A bullet grazed Nate's ear. Nick declined to comment after the hearing. Lane attended Lake Academy in Willoughby, an alternative school. Authorities said he fired the shots from his uncle's .22-caliber Ruger handgun as he waited for the bus that took him from Chardon High School each morning. After he bolted from the school, Geauga County Sheriff's Deputy Jon Bilicic found Lane seated along Woodin Road, about a mile from the school. There, he sat muddied and wet, with a shirt that read "Killer" on the front. Family members of victims in Chardon High School shooting give statements in court. Bilicic told Lane his rights, and the youth quickly admitted that he, alone, was the gunman. Asked why, Lane said he didn't know. Bilicic said Lane told him he just "killed a bunch of people." When Bilicic asked him why, he said, "I don't know." At another point when asked why, he said, "I don't really understand myself." The deputy said Lane told him he was aiming for heads so students wouldn't suffer. Bilicic asked Lane if he was suicidal, used drugs or alcohol, or suffered from depression; Lane replied, "No."

I chose this article I came across recently, although it happened over a year ago. After reading the article below I was in complete shock. It disgusts me that someone can go into a school and shoot people to begin, but what the shooter does to the families of the victims makes me sick to my stomach. I chose this article because school shootings are becoming more prevalent in our society today, although I have never heard of something as messed up as this. It makes me wonder how someone could get to the point in their life where they believe bringing a gun to a school and shooting students is entertaining. Also, the level of disrespect that T.J. has for not only the victims, but the families and friends of the victims of the shooting blows my mind. This article makes me think, what drives someone to do something as evil as this? There is a video on YouTube, of T.J. in court when he says what he did to the families of the victims and it made me sick to my stomach. He seems to get some sort of sick happiness out of this situation. This whole scenario makes me wonder if someone like T.J. had something in his past that brought him to these ideas and made him act upon them?