Once again, Americans are left with more questions than answers in a senseless shooting at a public school.
Seventeen-year-old T.J. Lane has admitted to taking a gun to Chardon High School in northern Ohio and firing 10 times at students sitting at a cafeteria table, prosecutor David Joyce has told the media.
Three teenagers died from their wounds. One victim remains hospitalized in serious condition, while another, an 18-year-old girl, was released from a hospital on Wednesday.
Lane is expected to be charged today with three counts of aggravated murder and other charges, and prosecutors hope to try him as an adult.
While the toll of this terrible event is obvious, why it occurred remains a mystery. Various reports indicate Lane recently was excelling at an alternative school and seemed to find a more stable home life after moving in with his grandparents. Early media reports that Lane had been bullied have been rebuffed.
That's why so many are shocked at what Lane allegedly has admitted to doing. Joyce said that Lane chose his victims and described the alleged shooter as "someone who's not well."
Exactly what that means remains a mystery. Comments by both sides in the case are limited because of a gag order.
As the case goes on, the public should learn much more - we hope - about what led up to Monday's school shooting. And with that knowledge, perhaps we will gain perspective to help prevent a similar tragedy.
For now, we are left wondering why a boy described as a "very fine person" could do something so horrible.
