Ohio Teen to Be Tried as Adult in School Shooting
A 17-year-old boy will be tried as an adult in the school shooting deaths of three students, a juvenile court judge ruled Thursday.
T.J. Lane admitted firing at students sitting at a cafeteria table at Chardon High School east of Cleveland on Feb. 27, killing three and seriously wounding two, authorities say.
Lane, with his grandparents and the relatives of victims sitting apart in court, swallowed hard and blinked as Geauga County Juvenile Court Judge Timothy Grendell announced that Lane should be tried as an adult.
The judge said he found probable evidence in all six charges against Lane, including aggravated murder counts. He rejected a defense request to release Lane on a $500,000 bond and said Lane would pose a risk to flee and a safety risk to the community.
The ruling capped a morning hearing which offered new details about the attack but left unanswered the question of motive.
The judge, over the objections of The Associated Press and other media outlets, cleared the courtroom of everyone but Lane and attorneys while a surveillance video of the shooting scene was played. The tape could jeopardize Lane’s chance to get a fair trial, the judge ruled.