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Shooter reportedly opened fire in cafeteria around 7:30 this morning
One student confirmed dead; four more wounded
Police say gunman, identified as TJ Lane, was student at the school; student said Lane was bullied
Another student said suspect tweeted that he would bring gun to school but that no one took the post seriously
Authorities used K-9 unit to track down Lane, who was found by his car
Suspect reportedly chased out of school by brave teacher

By Beth Stebner

Last updated at 8:00 PM on 27th February 2012

A student who allegedly opened fire on his classmates this morning at their high school's cafeteria was targeting a group of people, a student who witnessed the shootings said.

The suspect, identified by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as student TJ Lane, allegedly began shooting fellow students at Chardon High School around 7:30 this morning. The deadly spree has left one dead and four more injured.

Freshman Danny Komertz, 15, told the Associated Press he was just about to leave for his first-period health class when he heard a loud popping sound and then saw the gunman open fire.

Mr Komertz said that Lane was known as an outcast who had apparently been bullied.

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Arrested: Video footage shows student TJ Lane getting arrested next to what is presumably his car; he was tracked down by a K-9 unit after the alleged shooting

Loner: A fellow student described TJ Lane as a person who was often bullied and was an outcast

Stone faced: Sombre students leave with parents from Maple Elementary School, which is across the street from Chardon High School

Inconsolable: Students comfort each other as they leave the scene of the shooting

The freshman said that the person who died was trying to get under a cafeteria table to protect himself and shield his face.

Mr Komertz says that there were at least 100 students in the cafeteria at the time and that most fled immediately as shots were fired.

Other students' accounts echo the terror and uncertainty immediately following the attack. Junior Nate Mueller was hit in the right ear as bullets went flying.

'My friends were crawling on the floor…It was almost like a firecracker went off,' he told the paper, adding that Lane was silent the entire time. 'That's what made it so random,' he said.

Mr Mueller managed to run from the cafeteria and hit behind a car before dialing 911.

Police say that the suspect is now in custody after a brave teacher chased him out of the school.

Authorities used a K-9 unit to track down the shooting suspect who was found about a half mile from the school, and near his car.

Spokesperson John Hiscox confirmed that three boys and one girl were injured in the attack, but new reports say that another person was injured.

Details emerged that the attack, which authorities initially believed was carried out by more than one gunman, only involved a lone student.

A mother's relief: Doug Gasper, a ninth grader at Chardon High School, is hugged by his mother, Sandy as the two were reunited after the shooting

Evacuated: Students were evacuated after at least one shooter opened fire in Chardon High School's cafeteria around 7:30 this morning

A time for family: Samantha Kimball (left) consoles her younger brother Daniel Kimball (right), who is also a Chardon Middle School student

Student Evan Erasmus told officials that the alleged shooter posted a message to Twitter that he was going to bring a gun with him to Chardon, but that no one took him seriously.

The FBI and local authorities are now searching the suspect's house, which is being treated as a crime scene. They will be looking for any notes or additional evidence.

It is unclear whether the student was targeting specific people or merely shooting at random.

Student Joshua Roth was in the cafeteria this morning and told his mother Jeannette that a boy 'stood up and started shooting, and then it was chaos,' Fox8 News reported.

Another parent told Fox8 news that five to ten shots were fired in total, according to his son. The boy was in the cafeteria at the time.

Students were quickly evacuated to a middle school across the street.

Extreme case: SWAT members arrived at the scene to secure the location

Emergency: The SWAT team arrived approximately an hour after the shooting was reported

Flying out: An Ohio State Highway patrol helicopter is seen leaving Chardon High School

More than 1,100 students attend the high school, which is 30 miles east of Cleveland.

Police chief Tim McKenna confirmed the first student's death in a news conference at noon.

A female student told Fox8 that said she saw the gunman chasing a male student down one of the school's hallways. She 'ducked' out of the way into a nearby classroom to avoid him.

According to Fox News, students were alerted when a reverse 911 call went out, alerting all parents in the school district of the shooting.

Informing the public: Chardon Schools superintendent Joseph Bergant spoke at a news conference hours after the incident

Students were said to have adhered to lockdown drill policies, meaning they stayed in place, and locked themselves into classrooms until police arrived.

Per lockdown policy, they also texted their parents instead of calling them, so as to keep air ways clear.

Superintendent Joseph Bergant II told WKYC that the culprit is in custody in a juvenile detention centre, but added that he didn't know the extent of the students' injuries.

Injured: At least five students were injured in the shooting; their conditions are unknown

Delegating: Local authorities rushed to secure the area

Heather Ziska, 17, said she was in the cafeteria when she and other students heard popping noises in the hall. She said she saw a boy she recognized as a fellow student come into the cafeteria and start shooting.

She said she and several others immediately ran outside, while other friends ran into a middle school and others locked themselves in a teachers' lounge.

'Everybody just started running,' said 17-year-old Megan Hennessy, who was in class when she heard loud noises. 'Everyone was running and screaming down the hallway.'

Television news footage showed anxious parents escorting children away from the school building, and ambulances, as well as a medical helicopter, could be seen outside.

District Community Coordinator Ellen Ondrey said the Chardon Police Department has the school on lockdown as they secure the area.

She added that all classes within the school district have been cancelled.

Frantic: Parents anxiously waited outside the high school, trying to call their children to make sure they were all right

Injured: At least five students were injured in the shooting; their conditions are unknown

You're alright: Two girls embrace after the shooting

A SWAT team arrived around 8:45am, and is currently circling the premise.

Students at the high school and middle school had already started their day when the shooting happened, but bus runs for elementary school children were stopped, Ms Ondrey said.

Parents of high school students were told to go to Maple Elementary School to pick up their children.

'We want to make clear that the students are safe,' she said, advising parents not to rush to pick up students because the area is 'extremely congested. The lines are very long.'

A local church is planning to hold a prayer vigil tonight in light of the shootings.

The service at First Baptist Church of Painsville will be led by Rev Peter McCurdy, who was himself a victim of a shooting as a child, WKYC reported.

Chardon is a city of about 5,100 residents.

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