A teenage killer serving a life sentence for fatally shooting three students at an Ohio high school in 2012 escaped from prison Thursday along with another inmate and is on the loose, police said.
Thomas “T.J.” Lane, 19, who killed three students at Chardon High School in 2012, escaped from Allen Correctional Institution in Lima, Ohio, along with two other inmates shortly before 7:30 p.m. ET, when prison staff noticed a breach in a fence and that the trio were missing, law enforcement officials said.
One inmate was caught a short time later. The other inmate on the loose is Clifford Opperud, 45, who was jailed on convictions for aggravated robbery, burglary and kidnapping, according to prison records.
The school district where Lane struck cancelled classes Friday as the manhunt continued. Chardon Local School District said it would have counselors available to help rattled students.
Lima police are warning residents not to pick up hitch hikers or open their doors for strangers. The inmates were reported to be wearing “prison blues” and police are treating them as threats to the public.
“We are going to consider them definitely dangerous,” Lima Police Sgt. Andy Green said Thursday. The Allen County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Lima police have all mobilized their tactical teams in the manhunt, Green said.
"All available troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol have been joined by Allen County Sheriff's deputies and local area law enforcement in establishing a perimeter and searching the area," Ohio Department of Public Safety Director John Born said in a statement. "A Patrol helicopter with advanced infrared detection equipment has been deployed and is engaged in the search as well."
Lane brought a gun to Chardon High School on Feb. 27, 2012 and opened fire on a cafeteria table full of students, killing three. He pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to life in prison. At the sentencing hearing, Lane wore a white T-shirt with the word "KILLER" written on the front.
The prison from which Lane escaped was overcrowded, according to a state report. Allen Correctional had a population of 1,635 when inspectors visited in April, but it is only rated to hold 1,418, the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee found.
IN-DEPTH
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— Phil Helsel
First published September 11 2014, 7:00 PM