The town of Chardon, Ohio, is in morning today as residents try to make sense of the most recent school shooting in the United States — one that’s now claimed the lives of three students.
Police have arrested T. J. Lane, 17, as a suspect in the shooting. He’s expected in court Tuesday afternoon to face charges relating to the shooting.
According to The New York Times, Lane wasn’t a student at the school but knew many students there from earlier grades. He is suspected of walking into the school and approaching a table of students he knew and opening fire. Russell King Jr., 17, died early Tuesday morning of gunshot wounds, and Demetrius Hewlin also died Tuesday. Daniel Parmertor, 16, died on Monday.
Three other students remain hospitalized with serious injuries.
Chardon High School was closed Tuesday, as it will be Wednesday. On Thursday, the school will open with grief counselors for students and parents looking for someone to speak with. It will return to something approaching normal on Friday, the school district said.
“I can only imagine what some of these kids are going through,” said Tabitha Johnson, a Chardon resident.
According to the Associated Press, a Chardon High School teacher chased the suspect from the building and he was arrested a short time later near his car.
No motive has been publicly disclosed, though there has been some discussion that he may have been bullied — a common theme in many school shootings.
“I accept that it’s happened, but it hasn’t hit me yet, the full impact, what it’s going to be after this,” said Harold Norsic, a student at the high school.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!