Seventeen-year-old T.J. Lane claimed three students’ lives in a shooting rampage Monday, Feb. 27 at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio. Two other students were wounded, while another student was grazed in the ear by a bullet. Lane was formally charged with three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder and one count of felonious assault by Ohio prosecutors the following Thursday.

A hearing will take place before a juvenile court in the upcoming week to determine if Lane will be charged as an adult. Ohio law permits this based on the seriousness of the case. As a juvenile, Lane is ineligible for the death penalty, and if he is found guilty, he could face a life sentence in prison without parole.

Lane confessed to firing 10 shots into a group of students in the school’s cafeteria. He told police that he brought a .22 caliber Ruger pistol and a knife to school that Monday. Lane’s motive behind the shooting, as well as the shooting’s random or intentional nature, is in debate.

Daniel Parmertor, 16, Demetrius Hewlin, 16, and Russell King Jr., 17, were killed. Nick Walczak, 17, remains in serious condition in a hospital with neck and back injuries, and student Joy Rickers, 18, has been sent home. Student Nate Mueller’s bullet graze left him with only a small red mark on his ear and the grief and pain of witnessing the shooting.

Prosecutor David Joyce, Lane’s parents and Lane himself have stated he “did not know the students, but chose them randomly.” Joyce said the shooting happened because Lane “is not well,” not for any other motive, including the existence of bullying or drugs. But numerous accounts from other students and friends may suggest otherwise. Russell King was dating Lane’s ex-girlfriend. Students in the cafeteria said that Lane shot right at King when he opened fire, and friends doubt this act is random.

The case continues to be a puzzle, and Lane’s conviction and motive remain uncertain, but life must go on for the students and community in Chardon. Classes resumed at Chardon High School Friday, March 2 with increased police enforcement present. Funeral services for Parmertor, Hewlin and King are being held separately.