| 2012 Chardon High School shooting | |
|---|---|
  Location of Chardon, Ohio | |
| Location | Chardon High School Chardon, Ohio, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 41°35′28″N 81°12′1″W / 41.59111°N 81.20028°W |
| Date | February 27, 2012 c. 7:30 a.m. (EST) |
| Target | Students and staff at Chardon High School |
Attack type | School shooting, mass shooting, triple-murder |
| Weapons | Ruger MK III .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun[3][4] |
| Deaths | 3 |
| Injured | 3 (2 by gunfire, 1 by graze) |
| Perpetrator | Thomas Lane III[1][2] |
| Motive | Inconclusive, personal rivalry appeared to account for part |
On the morning of February 27, 2012, six students were shot at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio, resulting in the deaths of three of them. Witnesses said that the shooter had a personal rivalry with one of his victims. Two other wounded students were also hospitalized, one of whom sustained several serious injuries that have resulted in permanent paralysis. The fifth student suffered a minor injury, and the sixth a superficial wound.
By the evening of February 27, authorities confirmed that the suspect was Thomas Michael "T. J." Lane III,[5] a 17-year-old male juvenile and former student of Chardon, who was a sophomore at Lake Academy Alternative School and used a bus in common with several victims. Lane used a .22 caliber handgun. Lane was soon arrested by police near his car parked outside the school. Lane was ultimately indicted on three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated attempted murder, and one count of felonious assault. Because of his age, he was detained as a juvenile pending a decision by the prosecution and court as to whether he would be tried as an adult.
Following a competency hearing, in May 2012, a judge determined that Lane was competent to stand trial.[6] Later that month the decision was made to charge Lane as an adult.[7] He pleaded guilty and received three consecutive life sentences without parole on March 19, 2013.
In February 2014 the families of the three deceased students and Nick Walczak filed a wrongful death suit in Lake County against the Chardon School District and Lake Academy Alternative School. The Lake County judge dismissed the District and Lake Academy as parties, retaining only five former and current employees of the Chardon School District and high school as defendants. The families appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case in July 2016. It was returned to the Lake County Common Pleas court.
In addition, attorneys representing the estates of the three deceased students filed federal and state wrongful death suits against the family of T.J. Lane, which was settled in May 2014, including settlement of suits against his father, maternal grandfather, and paternal uncle (and their associated insurance companies). The Lane family agreed to pay nearly $2.7 million.[8]
On September 11, 2014, Lane, along with two older inmates, escaped from Allen Correctional Institution in Lima, Ohio. He was captured the following day, and the three men were transferred to a maximum security prison.
- ^ Jones, Melanie (February 27, 2012). "Is T.J. Lane the Chardon High School Shooter? Facebook Rant, Twitter Photos Leaked Online". International Business Times. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
- ^ Drissell, Rachel (March 2, 2012). "Accused Chardon High School shooter T.J. Lane's legal case is far from normal, experts say". cleveland.com. Cleveland Live LLC. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
- ^ Horton, John (March 7, 2012). "T.J. Lane, accused Chardon High School gunman, appears in Geauga County Juvenile Court". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland Live. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
- ^ Caniglia, John (March 6, 2012). "T.J. Lane, accused in Ohio school shooting, described as quiet, smart, no outcast". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland Live LLC. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
- ^ Read, Tracey (July 27, 2016). "Supreme Court won't review wrongful death case in Chardon High School shooting". Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- ^ Kaufman, Tina (May 2, 2012). "Judge rules TJ Lane competent to stand trial in Chardon shooting". Scripps TV Station Group. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
- ^ Caniglia, John (May 24, 2012). "T.J. Lane to be tried as adult in Chardon High School shootings". The Plain Dealer. The Plain Dealer. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
- ^ Rutti, Ron (January 12, 2019). "T.J. Lane family settles wrongful death lawsuits in Chardon shootings for almost $2.7 million". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Retrieved November 28, 2019.