Thomas Lane

Case record: State of Ohio v. Thomas M. Lane, III

Overview

Thomas Michael “T. J.” Lane III was a 17-year-old juvenile when he shot students at Chardon High School. The Chardon High School shooting occurred on February 27, 2012, at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio, United States. Three male students died within the two days following the incident. Two other students were hospitalized, one of whom sustained several serious injuries requiring extensive rehabilitation, and the other suffered a minor injury. The seriously injured victim was declared permanently paralyzed. A sixth student sustained a superficial wound.

Witnesses identified the shooter as Thomas “T. J.” Lane III. Although police initially hesitated to publicly identify the juvenile after he was apprehended, by the evening of February 28 authorities confirmed that the suspect was Lane.

Timeline

• February 27, 2012 — A shooting began at approximately 7:30 a.m. in the Chardon High School cafeteria.
• February 27, 2012 — At noon, Chardon Police Chief Tim McKenna announced in a news conference that one of the victims had died.
• February 28, 2012 — Lane was confirmed as the suspect by evening; multiple reported developments followed, including that Demetrius Hewlin died.
• March 2, 2012 — School resumed in full for Chardon High School; funerals and protest-related events were reported around this period.
• February 29, 2012 — Tim Grendell allowed the release of Lane’s juvenile records to the press.
• February 26, 2013 — Lane pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder, and felonious assault.
• March 19, 2013 — Lane was sentenced to three life sentences in prison without parole.
• September 11, 2014 — Lane escaped from Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima, Ohio.
• September 12, 2014 — Lane was recaptured at 1:20 a.m. and Opperud was apprehended later that morning at 4:45 a.m.

The offence

The shooting began at approximately 7:30 a.m. (EST) in the Chardon High School cafeteria shortly after school began. A student witness said the shooting began in the cafeteria before first period while students were eating breakfast. Reports described a boy standing up and beginning shooting, causing chaos.

A surveillance video showed that Lane shot four male students in the cafeteria with a .22 caliber handgun. As Lane fled, he shot a female student. A teacher chased Lane out of the school.

Lane left the building after the shooting, was chased out by a teacher, and was arrested a short time later at a location outside the school. Lane was arrested outside the school near his car on Woodin Road.

According to the prosecutor’s disclosures at an initial court hearing, Lane admitted to shooting 10 rounds of ammunition during the incident, and the prosecutor indicated Lane did not know the victims and that they were chosen randomly. Witnesses stated that it appeared Lane targeted a specific student and the group he was sitting with in the cafeteria. Students later described that Lane appeared to be targeting students sitting together at one table, with four of the five victims at that table being students at the Auburn Career Center. Other student witnesses said Lane knew several victims, and Nate Mueller said King had recently started dating Lane’s former girlfriend. Other student witnesses stated that King had previously threatened to beat Lane up, and that Lane had taken up weightlifting with the intention of fighting King.

Lane also admitted to taking a knife into Chardon High School.

Weapon

Authorities determined that the gun used in the shooting was purchased legally. Authorities said Lane stole the .22-caliber handgun from his uncle. The press reported that it was a Ruger MK III Target .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun. A neighbor described it as a target revolver belonging to Lane’s grandfather. The neighbor said there was no explanation for the ability to fire as many as ten or more rounds from a revolver in quick succession and later admitted the revolver theory was probably not true.

Reports stated that the shooter dropped the gun as he fled. The gun was found inside the school and recovered by police.

Victims and casualties

Casualties listed were:

1. Daniel Parmertor, 16 (deceased)
2. Russell King, Jr., 17 (deceased)
3. Demetrius Hewlin, 16 (deceased)
4. Nate Mueller, 16 (minor injury to ear)
5. Nick Walczak, 17 (shot multiple times in his neck, arm, and back; a bullet lodged in his cheek; paralyzed)
6. Joy Rickers, 18 (injured; released from hospital after approximately 24 hours)

A sixth student, Nate Mueller, sustained a superficial wound when a bullet grazed his right ear. Nick Walczak sustained severe injuries and was later confined to a wheelchair during later reporting. Joy Rickers was released from Hillcrest Hospital on February 28 after being injured.

Names of teachers and actions during the shooting

After the shooting, students referred to two teachers, Frank Hall and Joseph Ricci, as heroes. Frank Hall was identified as having charged the shooter despite the shooter pointing his gun at the coach.

Joseph Ricci ordered a “lockdown.” When Ricci heard moaning outside his classroom, he put on a bulletproof vest, opened the door, dragged a wounded student, Nick Walczak, into the classroom, and administered first aid. Walczak’s family credited Ricci with saving his life.

Investigation and apprehension

On February 27, federal agents patrolled the area around homes and ponds while other officers walked a hillside. Officers investigating the shooting blocked off a road in a heavily wooded area several miles from the school. The authorities searched the home of the suspect’s paternal grandparents in Chardon Township. Lane did not live there but frequently visited on weekends. The residence and other properties owned by the Lane family were searched extensively on the day of the shooting. A nearby forest that neighbors said the Lane children used for target practice was also combed.

At an initial court hearing, the prosecutor revealed that Lane admitted to shooting 10 rounds of ammunition. Lane told police that he did not know the victims and that they were selected randomly. A witness who said he knew the shooter indicated that Lane knew several victims.

Lane was initially detained as a juvenile pending further court action. The prosecutor indicated that he would attempt to try Lane as an adult and file three counts of aggravated murder among other charges.

Arrest and pre-trial detention

A detention hearing was held for the suspect at Geauga County Juvenile Court in Chardon on February 28 at 3:50 p.m. (EST). Judge Timothy J. Grendell began the proceeding by asking the media not to take photographs of the defendant until it was determined whether he would be tried as an adult. Judge Timothy J. Grendell ruled that the defendant would remain in custody.

At the prosecutor’s request, the judge directed that attorneys refrain from speaking to the media regarding the proceeding. The judge outlined conditions for media participation, including not taking facial photographs of the defendant or his family.

After hearing the prosecutor’s argument for continuing detention and receiving no objection, the judge ruled that detention at the Portage-Geauga Juvenile Detention Center in Ravenna, Ohio, should continue for 15 days. The issues of arraignment and possible transfer to adult court were put off to future dates. The judge stated the prosecution had until March 1, 2012 to file charges.

Juvenile records release

On February 29, 2012, Tim Grendell allowed the release of Lane’s juvenile records to the press. The records stated that Lane was arrested twice in December 2009. The first incident involved Lane restraining his uncle while his cousin hit him. The other case involved Lane hitting another boy in the face. For the second charge, Lane pled to a count of disorderly conduct.

Charges

Lane was indicted on three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated attempted murder, and one count of felonious assault. After being tried as an adult, he was indicted on the six charges that had been filed earlier in March: three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of attempted murder (described in multiple places as attempted aggravated murder), and one count of felonious assault.

On March 1, 2012, prosecutors formally charged Lane with three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated attempted murder, and one count of felonious assault.

Court proceedings

Arraignment and competency

Lane did not enter a plea when arraigned on March 6. Two additional defense attorneys were assigned in March, and the judge postponed the decision to try Lane as an adult until after a competency evaluation was completed.

On April 9, Lane appeared before Judge Grendell, who set a date for a competency hearing for May 2. A separate hearing was scheduled for May 12 to determine if Lane would be tried as an adult.

In June 2012, it was determined that Lane would be tried as an adult. He pled not-guilty to those charges on June 8. His bail was set at $1 million, and he was scheduled to be transferred from the juvenile detention center to county jail on June 18.

A motion was filed on June 20 with the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas stating that if someone were to pay a $120 fee, he could remain in the Portage-Geauga County Juvenile Detention Center.

Plea

On February 26, 2013, Lane pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder and felonious assault.

Sentencing

On March 19, 2013, Lane was sentenced to three life sentences in prison without parole.

After entering the courtroom, Lane took off his dress shirt to reveal a white T-shirt underneath with the word "Killer" handwritten across the front. He smiled and smirked during the hearing.

Lane made the following statement to the victims’ families and the courtroom while giving the middle finger:

"This hand that pulled the trigger that killed your sons now masturbates to the memory. Fuck all of you"

Escape and recapture

On September 11, 2014, Lane escaped from Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima, Ohio, along with two other inmates, Clifford Opperud and Lindsey Bruce. Bruce was captured shortly after the escape. At 1:20 a.m. on the next day, Lane was recaptured. Opperund was apprehended later that morning at 4:45 a.m.

Lane and the other inmate identified as 45-year-old Clifford Opperud of Carlisle, Ohio, who was serving a twelve-year sentence for aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, and kidnapping, remained at large. Police considered Lane and Opperud “potentially armed and dangerous.”

Residents near the prison were advised to lock their doors and stay inside their homes. Dina Parmertor, Daniel Parmertor’s mother, reacted to the escape saying:

"I'm disgusted that it happened. I'm extremely scared and panic stricken. I can't believe it."

The escape used a makeshift ladder to scale a fence during recreation hours. Later in the day, Lane, Opperud, and Bruce were transferred to the super-maximum security Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown, Ohio.

Community reaction and aftermath

Ohio Governor John Kasich praised the Chardon Police and Geauga County Sheriff’s office in a statement on the morning of the shooting and pledged support to the community. The following day, Kasich ordered that the flag at the Ohio Statehouse and all flags in Geauga County be flown at half-staff.

Officials closed all Chardon schools on February 28. The School Department provided counseling and scheduled a gradual return to school for students, teachers and staff, with school resuming in full on Friday, March 2, 2012.

Prayer vigils were held after the event, including one at Assembly of God Church. The United Way set up The Chardon Healing Fund to help those traumatized by the shooting, and it had already acquired $150,000 by the time its creation was announced on February 28.

On the evening of the day following the attack, thousands attended a vigil at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Chardon, where a funeral mass was scheduled for victim Daniel Parmertor to take place the following weekend. People in attendance wore red. Chardon High School principal Andy Fetchik spoke to the student body and encouraged them to help each other during the healing process, while Kasich encouraged Chardon residents to support those who had lost loved ones.

President Barack Obama telephoned Fetchik and expressed condolences for the death of the students, saying that both he and First Lady Michelle Obama were praying for the high school community.

Students’ return to school

On March 2, 2012, students entering the building received a warm welcome. A “Line Up At Chardon” event was organized via Facebook by a student from West Geauga High School, her mother, and neighbor. They welcomed Chardon High School students with a giant sign reading “I'll Stand By You” referencing the song by The Pretenders. More than 100 kids from surrounding school districts including West Geauga came to show support. Chardon High School students and their parents attended a “walk through” of the school.

Senior class officers organized a procession from Chardon Square to the school that morning. Organizers invited participation in the three-quarter-mile walk via Facebook; over 225 students showed interest in participating the day before the activity. Classes resumed the next day. The cafeteria where the shooting took place was repainted and reorganized; the table where most of the victims were sitting remained in place and was described as “a counterpoint to the way the other tables are arranged.” The table was covered with flowers and stuffed animals.

Funeral-related protest

On March 2, 2012, WEWS-TV reported that Fred Phelps, Jr., whose father founded the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), had posted on Twitter that the WBC was planning to “street-preach” about the Ohio shooting “regarding God's hand, judgments and vengeance in this affair.” A separate Twitter post said the group would protest Daniel Parmertor’s funeral.

In response, Chardon resident Alex Pavlick sent out a request on Facebook for people to form a barricade around St. Mary’s Church where the funeral was to be held on March 3 if the WBC showed up to protest. Pavlick wrote that he wanted to ensure the funeral was not ruined by “a group of extremists.” By the time the story was posted, 1600 people had agreed to join Pavlick’s counter-protest. WEWS-TV reported that a human barricade of thousands readied but that the WBC protestors did not come.

Three days after Parmertor’s funeral, Demetrius Hewlin’s funeral was held at St. Mary’s. Members of four motorcycle clubs, including the Patriot Guard Riders, participated as part of the honor guard. The Patriot Guard was formed specifically to counter-demonstrate at funerals protested by the Westboro Baptist Church.

Victim deaths announcements and statements

At noon on February 27, Chardon Police Chief Tim McKenna announced one victim had died. The first deceased student was identified as Daniel Parmertor, a 16-year-old high school junior, by a spokeswoman for Cleveland’s MetroHealth Medical Center. His family issued a statement requesting that privacy be respected.

Parmertor was shot when Lane opened fire while Parmertor was waiting for a bus to the Auburn Career Center vocational school in nearby Concord Township, where he studied computer science.

At 12:42 a.m. on the next day, Russell King, Jr., 17, was pronounced brain dead at MetroHealth Medical Center. King studied alternative energy technologies and was enrolled at both Chardon High School and the Auburn Career Center. King’s family released a statement thanking the public for support and offering sympathy to other families. The family said King’s organs would be donated as he had wished.

A witness, Nate Mueller, said King had recently started dating Lane’s former girlfriend. Other student witnesses said Lane appeared to be aiming specifically for King and that King had been the first shot. The students stated King had previously threatened to beat Lane up and that Lane began weightlifting with the intention of fighting King.

On February 28, it was reported that Demetrius Hewlin, the third student transferred to MetroHealth, had died. Hewlin’s family expressed sorrow in a press statement. Friends of Hewlin said he liked to work out and wanted to be on the football team.

Hewlin’s mother, Phyllis Ferguson, told ABC News:

"He wasn't a morning person and he was late for school. But that one day he wasn't late. We were running a little late, but we weren't late enough. But it's okay. It's in God's hands. Let His will be done."

When questioned about what she would say to the assailant, Ferguson said:

"She would forgive him, because most school shooters did not know what they were doing."

Ferguson explained her son’s organs would be donated and that one of the recipients was a child within days of death without a transplant.

Injured students

One of the two injured students taken to Hillcrest Hospital, Nick Walczak, was shot several times, with a bullet lodged in his cheek. He was also shot in his arm, neck and back. As he entered rehabilitation a week later described as “fair condition,” there were questions about whether he could walk again. His mother said he required therapy on his spine to restore feeling in his legs.

Joy Rickers, 18, was released from Hillcrest Hospital on February 28.

Nate Mueller was not hospitalized and sustained a superficial injury when a bullet nicked his right ear.

Pre-incident and social media details

Rumors circulated that a warning about the event had been posted on the Internet. Student witnesses identified the shooter as Thomas “T. J.” Lane III.

News agencies published excerpts from a Facebook profile of a boy named “T. J. Lane.” The profile listed several friends from Chardon. An entry dated December 30, 2011, read:

"Die, all of you."

A comment posted by Lane on January 20, 2012, indicated he wrote the text in class.

Two friends described Lane’s demeanor and social context. One friend described him as "a very normal, just teenage boy" and told CNN she was in "complete shock" from the incident; she also said Lane often had a sad look in his eyes but came across as completely normal. Another friend said Lane was regularly teased at school and that Lane “put a wall around himself” and refused to divulge personal information. A third student told reporters Lane came from "a really broken-down home" and was a quiet person who could be nice to others if he felt comfortable. Students at Lake Academy denied that he had been bullied and said he was friendly and nice but not very talkative.

A gun-related detail was mentioned: reports stated Lane was recorded in a squad car saying: 'I shot people.' When asked why, the teen replied: 'I don't know.' Prosecutor statements were also recorded during later reporting, including that the defendant admitted taking a gun and knife to school before firing 10 shots.

Quotes and contemporaneous statements

Governor statement and flags

Kasich issued a statement praising Chardon Police and Geauga County Sheriff’s office for their handling of the incident and pledged support to the community. The following day he ordered flags at the Ohio Statehouse and all flags in Geauga County to be flown at half-staff.

911 calls

A 911 call included the following exchange: Dispatcher: Did you see the shooter? Are you a student? Student: Yes. Yes I am a student. I was right by the shooter when he pulled the gun. Dispatcher: Who was the shooter? Student: His name is Thomas Lane. Dispatcher: Is he a student? Student: Yeah. Dispatcher: Where is he at now? Student: He's somewhere in the building. As soon as I saw him pull the gun and start shooting, I ran outside. Dispatcher: Did he shoot anyone? Student: Yes. I saw a couple of students get hit. Dispatcher: Where was all this taking place at? Student: In the lunchroom at Chardon High School. Dispatcher: And you saw him shoot how many? Student: I saw him take out two and then I was gone... they were laying on the ground in blood. Dispatcher: What was his beef with these kids, do we know? Student: I have no idea. It's a kid that, generally like I try to talk to, he's very quiet and he doesn't really talk to anyone. Dispatcher: Was he picking students randomly? Student: Yeah, he just pulled out a gun and started firing upon, like 500 kids, all in the lunchroom. Dispatcher: So he just pulled out the gun and started shooting students in the cafeteria? Student: Yes. At random.

Other details

Legal and court references

The case was titled State of Ohio v. Thomas M. Lane, III. The materials referenced included:

• “The Court of Appeals Eleventh Appellate District Geauga County, Ohio” and “State's response to motion to suppress statements.”
• The incident and sentencing were addressed in the context of the Ohio court system, including discussions of transfer, competency evaluation, detention, and adult prosecution.

Defense plans after sentencing

Lane’s attorney, Ian Friedman, said Lane planned to file an appeal and asked the court to appoint him a lawyer for that process.

Friedman also said:

'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.'

Family statement and reaction

Domenick Iammarino, Daniel Parmertor’s grandfather, said Lane should be locked up for the rest of his life.

Sadie, Lane’s sister, released a statement expressing condolences and said:

"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,"

Sadie also said:

'The brother in the courtroom and [the one] that did this is not the brother I knew.'

Prison escape-related identities and sentence context for Opperud

Clifford Opperud was identified as 45-year-old and from Carlisle, Ohio, and as serving a twelve-year sentence for aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, and kidnapping.

Victim memorial and funeral mass scheduling

A funeral mass was scheduled for victim Daniel Parmertor on the following weekend after February 28, and Demetrius Hewlin’s funeral occurred three days after Parmertor’s funeral, also at St. Mary’s.