TJ Lane, Ohio school shooter, to be tried as an adult
A sign in front of Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio, where a shooting took place on Feb. 27, 2012.
TJ Lane, 17, who went on a shooting spree in the cafeteria of Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio, on Feb. 27, will be tried as an adult in the killing of three students, a Geauga County judge ruled today, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.
This means Lane could get life in prison if he's convicted, CBS News reported. Ohio does not allow minors to receive the death penalty.
According to CBS News:
Had his case been routed to juvenile court, the maximum possible penalty would have kept him jailed until he turned 21.
Lane, who is currently being held in a juvenile detention center, has been charged with six counts of delinquency, included three counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of Demetrius Hewlin, 16; Russell King Jr., 17; and Daniel Parmertor, 16, the Plain Dealer reported.
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Earlier this month, a psychiatrist testified in juvenile court that Lane has hallucinations, psychosis and fantasies, the Plain Dealer reported. However, he said, Lane’s mental issues would not prevent him from understanding the case against him and assisting in his defense.
Lane’s mental competency may be revisited in adult court, CBS News reported.
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Also at the hearing today, new details of the attack emerged. The Geauga County sheriff's deputy who arrested Lane said the student told him he just “killed a bunch of people,” but couldn’t explain why, the Plain Dealer reported.
Prosecutor David Joyce has reportedly ruled out motivations related to bullying or drug dealing, CBS News reported.
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