Thomas 'T.J.' Lane, a 19-year-old convicted killer, escaped from an Ohio prison Thursday and was captured six hours later in a nearby church.

TJ Lane Captured After Escape From Prison

Lane and two other inmates, Lindsey Bruce and Clifford Opperud, escaped from the Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11. All three have been captured, and the exact details of their escape have not been made public. Lane was found early Friday morning, outside a church merely 100 yards away from the prison.

Lane was sentenced to life in prison without parole in March of 2013 after he killed three students and injured others in a shooting rampage at Chardon High School the previous year. Though he was 17 at the time, Lane was not actually a student at Chardon High School. He became known for his courtroom antics when, during his sentencing hearing, he took off his button-down shirt to reveal a white t-shirt with the word ‘KILLER’ written across the chest.

“The hand that pulled the trigger that killed your sons now masturbates to the memory. F—k all of you,” Lane told the victims’ families in court.

Chardon Schools Closed After Lane's Escape

The citizens of Chardon were, understandably, shaken by the news of Lane’s escape. Chardon schools were closed Friday, and local police announced they would be offering victims’ families extra protection.

“Our thoughts and prayers today go out to the families of Demetrius [Hewlin], Russell [King] and Danny [Parmertor] and all others affected by the tragedy as well as by the troubling events from Thursday evening,” wrote Chardon Local Schools Superintendent Michael P. Hanlon Jr. in a letter to parents.

Warden Kevin Jones revealed that Lane used a makeshift ladder to scale a fence to make his escape, and announced that, in light of his actions, they would consider putting him in a maximum security facility.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.