Ohio School Shooting Victim's Mother Forgives Gunman

Religion Today | Updated: Dec 19, 2012

Ohio School Shooting Victim's Mother Forgives Gunman

March 1, 2012

The mother of one of the three teens killed in Monday's shooting at Ohio's Chardon High School says she has forgiven the suspected gunman, T.J. Lane, the Christian Post reports. "I forgive him because, a lot of times, they don't know what they're doing," said Phyllis Ferguson, the mother of 16-year-old Demetrius Hewlin, who died in the hospital Tuesday. "I taught Demetrius not to live in the past, to live in today, and forgiveness is divine." Ferguson said her son wasn't a morning person and was often late for school, "but that one day he wasn't late. We were running a little late, but we weren't late enough. But it's okay. It's in God's hands. Let His will be done. ... God knew what He was doing. It's not for my understanding, but mine to accept and remember him as he was." Lane, a bullied and outcast student, allegedly opened fire inside the school cafeteria around 7:30 a.m. According to prosecutor David Joyce, the 17-year-old Lane admitted to firing 10 shots and chose his victims randomly.

Ohio School Shooting Victim's Mother Forgives Gunman