AP/ February 26, 2013, 7:53 AM

Ohio teen pleads guilty in school shooting

In this photo taken Thursday, May 24, 2012, T.J. Lane, 17 at the time, appears in Juvenile Court in Chardon, Ohio.

In this photo taken Thursday, May 24, 2012, T.J. Lane, 17 at the time, appears in Juvenile Court in Chardon, Ohio. / AP Photo

CHARDON, Ohio A teenager charged with killing three students at an Ohio high school has pleaded guilty to aggravated murder charges.

Eighteen-year-old T.J. Lane entered the plea Tuesday in Chardon in a deal with prosecutors. Lane pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder, among other charges. As part of the agreement, prosecutors removed the death penalty specifications.

Prosecutors say Lane fired 10 shots at students in a cafeteria at Chardon High School, east of Cleveland. He was there waiting for a bus to his alternative school.

Investigators say he admitted shooting at students but said he didn't know why he did it.

Lane's appearance in a Geauga County courtroom comes one day before the anniversary of the deadly shootings at Chardon High School, east of Cleveland.

Both the defense and the prosecution had sought court-ordered psychiatric testing for Lane to determine if he would be competent to stand trial.

Before the case went to adult court last year, a juvenile court judge ruled that Lane was mentally competent despite evidence he suffers from hallucinations, psychosis and fantasies.

Investigators say he admitted shooting at students but said he didn't know why he did it. Prosecutors took a .22-caliber pistol and a knife to the school last Feb. 27 and fired 10 shots at a group of students in the cafeteria.

Lane attended an alternative school for students who haven't done well in traditional schools. He was at Chardon waiting for a bus.

Lawyers said Tuesday they expect Lane to be sentenced in about three weeks.

© 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
7 Comments Add a Comment
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RFBodi says:
Really? "Prosecutors took a .22-caliber pistol and a knife to the school last Feb. 27 and fired 10 shots at a group of students in the cafeteria."? Are the prosecutors being prosecuted?

Does CBS employ any editors anymore who read a story before it is published?

Sad. Really sad.
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hippiehart says:
The gun only did what the knife made him do... Outlaw knifes!!
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addict42 says:
People who have family members that have a history of mental instability and have guns everywhere are just as responsible as the shooter because they are practically handing these souls the guns and saying go out and kill. I'm sure Nancy Lanza had the best of intentions, which will pave the road to hell for her.
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[oweghn says:
T.J. meet Bubba. You're going to be his new bath toy. News media, you need to do a follow up story in 1 year to let all of those copy cats know what is in store for them.
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excop1949 says:
Prosecutors took a .22-caliber pistol and a knife to the school last Feb. 27 and fired 10 shots at a group of students in the cafeteria.

UH...PROOF READER!
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ImpendingHorrors replies:
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BWAAAHHHHHH
mtnbikr replies:
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Proof reading and editing is dead in this digital age. As long as these "journalists" have to get a story out before anyone else, we will continue to be subject to this poor story writing.....

"Investigators say he admitted shooting at students but said he didn't know why he did it." This sentence appears twice in the article.

"He was there waiting for a bus to his alternative school" - HUH?
You mean he was waiting for a bus TO TAKE HIM TO his alternative school, right?