Washington:
The 17-year-old boy accused of the latest US school shooting in Ohio was charged on Thursday with three counts of aggravated murder and two counts of attempted aggravated murder, a prosecutor said.
The charges against TJ Lane, who gave himself up and confessed to police after Monday's shooting spree at Chardon High School, were filed in a juvenile court, but prosecutors want to see the case transferred to an adult court, meaning the teen could face life without parole if convicted.
"Lane was charged with three counts of aggravated murder for killing three of our children, two counts of attempting aggravated murder for injuring two of the children and one count of felonious assault," Geauga County prosecutor David Joyce told reporters.
Lane allegedly fired 10 shots from a .22-caliber handgun on Monday on a group of teenagers in the high school cafeteria, sending terrified students running for their lives before fleeing the scene, chased by a teacher.
One victim died in hospital hours after the shooting. Two more succumbed to their wounds on Tuesday. A fourth gunshot victim remains in hospital while a fifth, the only girl shot, has been released back to her family.
Shocked residents of this close-knit Ohio community of 5,100 have struggled to comprehend how the tragedy could have happened.
No motive has been determined but Joyce told reporters earlier in the week that during his confession to police, Lane had said that he picked his victims at random.
"This was the effect of one lone gunman. He chose his victims at random. This is not about bullying. This is not about drugs," the prosecutor said Tuesday. "This is about someone who's not well."
The next court hearing has been scheduled for March 6.
Judge Timothy Grendell has tentatively scheduled a March 19 court date for an expected motion from prosecutors to transfer proceedings to an adult court.