TJ LANE: THE CHARDON HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTER

“This hand that pulled the trigger that killed your sons now masturbates to the memory. Fuck all of you”. These cold words spoken by convicted killer TJ Lane rang through an Ohio courtroom almost as loud as the bullets he fired to kill innocent students. Those in attendance were shocked by this seemingly normal boy’s crass and deplorable response; one which offered no explanation as to why he chose to kill. What this did do is create a unique insight into the mind of a cold blooded monster who took the lives of three innocent young people. The story of TJ Lane is one that is surprising to say the least. His family members were left just as shocked, saddened and confused as the rest of the world would be in the wake of the senseless carnage.

TJ was born Thomas Michael Lane the third on September nineteenth 1994 in Chardon Ohio. Lane’s early childhood was tumultuous to say the least and it was at this time when he was exposed to what would be the biggest precursor to his later violence, his father. Lane grew up in a household by a patriarch who was arrested for crimes ranging from beating a cop and holding a woman’s head under water all the way to attempted murder. Due to all the instability young T.J. moved in with his grandparents, but it was obvious that his previous environment left a lasting impression on the child. He was arrested twice in December of 2009. The first time was for restraining his uncle while his cousin hit him and the second time was for hitting a boy in the face. His demeanor was also changing, his grades started to decline and many that knew him said he was becoming very introverted or “turning goth”. We now know that pulling away from people around him was his method of hiding the growing rage inside. Those closest to him said that he “put a wall around himself”.

The shooting occurred on February twenty seventh 2012 around seven thirty in the morning. At the time of the tragedy he was not enrolled in Chardon area high school but was a student at a nearby alternative school in Willoughby. Lake Academy, a school for students with behavioral issues, hosted a mere fifty five students at that time. The carnage started in the school’s cafeteria and by the time the ten rounds were fired from his twenty two caliber handgun, three students lost their lives and two were severely wounded. Lake entered the campus began targeting those students who were sitting at tables with several fellow classmates. His victims were Demetrius Hewlin, Russell King and Daniel Parmertor. The young shooters spree was ended when teacher Frank Hall chased him out of the school after which he was finally apprehended by police. Several candle light vigils were held later that evening. Given all of the evidence since the event, we now know that Lane did not have any particular victims in mind, he simply shot at random. What is confusing for those who attempt to make sense of this is there is no known information about the planning of the massacre. We know very little about what was happening in this young man’s mind before he decided to kill for sport.

The day after the shooting, a detention hearing was held to determine how TJ would be charged; he was legally deemed an adult in June of that year. On March first 2012 he was formally charged with three charges of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated attempted murder and one count of felonious assault. Once it was decided how he would be tried and charges were official the next step was to evaluate if he was mentally capable of withstanding trial. A mental competency hearing, led by psychiatrist Dr. Phillip Resnick, was held on May 2, 2012. The doctor testified that Lane was “mentally ill, suffered from psychosis that caused hallucinations and loss of contact with reality but [these issues] does not interfere with Lane's ability to understand the charges against him”. On February twenty-sixth 2013 he pleaded guilty to all three of the murders. During his sentencing the most memorable moment of the trial occurred when Lane took the stand to give any last statements. Lane unbuttoned his blue collared shirt revealing a white t-shirt with the word “killer” crudely written in black marker. TJ stood up said “this hand that pulled the trigger that killed your sons now masturbates to the memory. Fuck all of you” raised his defiant middle finger to the grieving families and sat back down. The audience went silent, horrified at the unimaginable words spoken. Some sense of peace would be given to the families on March nineteenth 2013, when TJ Lane was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences.

Many that knew TJ were surprised to learn that he was capable of committing such horrible acts. Friends described him as just a very normal teenage boy. The most heart breaking report was given by his very own sister who could hardly form words but was managed to muster enough strength to give her condolences to the victim’s families. She followed her heart filled sympathies by saying "it may be hard for some to understand, but I love my brother, and hope that wherever the sentence and life takes him in the future that he can touch others' lives in a positive way from a point of view that only he can give”. These words, as well as her pain, serve as a clear reminder that it is not just the victim’s families who lose loved ones in events like these but also relatives of the killers themselves.

Just as everyone in Chardon Ohio were beginning to put the pieces of their shattered lives back together and the name TJ Lane was starting to fade into infamy, there was one more surprise twist to come. On September 11th 2014, along with three other convicts, TJ escaped from Allen Correctional Institution. The escape would place the entire city of Lima Ohio in a crippling panic. This terror was especially felt by the residential community located mere feet away from the prison. Lane, Clifford Opperud and Lindsay Bruce managed to climb over the fence that surrounded the minimal security prison and elude capture by hiding in the woods until 1:20 the next day. After his recapture, Lane was transferred to the super maximum security Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown Ohio. He now spends 23 hours a day in a cell the size of a parking spot only being allowed to leave one hour for recreation. In addition to the nature of crimes and the deplorable actions displayed in court, there were a few signs that he would cause trouble for the guards in charge. Before the escape he got in trouble seven times for peeing on walls, giving himself a tattoo and for not completing assignments. When officials looked into this incident, they discovered that not only had he spent months constructing the ladder that would be used but that guards knew days in advance what the convicts were planning.

The murder of children is always a difficult tragedy for victim’s families to survive. It is something that is almost impossible to figure out as it is one of the most senseless crimes that get committed. These horrific events only become worse when they are committed by children themselves. The case of TJ Lane is certainly no exception as it creates questions with almost no answers. He was not bullied at school, he did not know the students he killed and he did not exhibit any common traits of other mass killers. All of these facts just prove he is a cold blooded monster.