Jon Romano | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jon William Romano (1987-10-30) October 30, 19876 |
| Known for | Perpetrating the Columbia High School shooting |
Criminal status | Released |
| Motive | Suicidal ideation, sexual abuse, depression1 |
Criminal charge | attempted murder and reckless endangerment2 |
Penalty | 20 year prison sentence3 (Released after 17 years on good behavior)4 |
| Details | |
| Date | February 9, 20045 |
| Locations | Columbia High School, East Greenbush, New York |
| Killed | 0 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Weapon | Winchester 12-gauge pump-action shotgun |
Jon William Romano3 (born October 30, 1987) is an American convicted school shooter and reformed mental health advocate.
Early life
Romano was born on October 30, 1987 in East Greenbush, New York. His father left the family when Romano was four years old. He alleges that, as a child, he was beaten by his father.7
Shooting and incarceration
On February 9, 2004, Romano, a Columbia High School student, walked into school with a Winchester 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. He passed by the main office and ascended stairs to a second-floor bathroom, where he hid inside a stall and sent text messages to his friends such as "I'm in school with shotgun, get out."38 Romano then washed his hands, then stepped out into a hallway and fired two shots before he was tackled from behind by school assistant principal John Sawchuk. During the ensuing struggle, a third shot was fired that struck the leg of special education teacher Michael Bennett.9 Romano was subdued and restrained until police arrived and he was arrested.
Romano was charged with three counts of attempted murder in the second degree, one count of assault in the second degree, and 82 counts of reckless endangerment in the first degree. He accepted a plea agreement from the prosecution and was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by a five-year period of post-release supervision.10
He wrote a series of letters during his incarceration that advocated against gun violence. After the 2018 Parkland high school shooting, he wrote that the survivors were “courageous and inspiring for demanding action from politicians".11 On February 21, 2018, The Albany Times Union published a column featuring comments from Sawchuk. Romano responded with a letter thanking Sawchuk for stopping him before he could hurt himself or others. 12
Romano was released on December 15, 2020 after serving seventeen years of his 20-year sentence.13
After release
Sword attack
On 29 August 2022, Romano was attacked with a sword and critically injured while working at a homeless shelter in Albany, New York. Randell D. Mason, a 42 year old homeless man was subsequently arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder.14 In April 2023, Mason was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment on the charge.15
Social media
In early 2022, Romano made a social media account on the streaming platform Tiktok. The account quickly gained a following due to his criminal notoriety. As attention to his social media presence grew, a significant amount of backlash from other influencers on the platform, many of whom claimed it was an attempt to monetize the notoriety gained from his violent crimes. In late 2022, Romano announced that he would no longer be participating on the platform due to the amount of negative and abusive comments he received.16
As of 2026, Romano actively posts on TikTok and has a following of over 250,000 followers.
References
References
- Churchill, Chris (October 5, 2023). "Churchill: Two decades after school shooting, Jon Romano comes home and tries to explain". Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- Yang, Maya (October 12, 2023). "A school shooter went viral on TikTok. Should he be on the platform at all?". The Guardian. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- Liquori, Donna (December 19, 2004). "Student Agrees to 20-Year Term After Nonfatal Shooting Spree in High School". The New York Times. New York Times. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- WRGB Staff (December 16, 2020). "Jon Romano, convicted in 2004 East Greenbush school shooting, released from prison". cbs6albany. cbs6albany. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- Santora, Marc (February 10, 2004). "Student Opens Fire at a High School Near Albany, Hitting a Teacher". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- "Jon Romano". schoolshooters.info. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- Romano, Jon (February 9, 2004). "Jon Romano (Note he wrote and left at home on the morning of Feb. 9, 2004)" (PDF). p. 4. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- Patrick, William. "An Incident of School Violence in East Greenbush, New York". The Official Website of William B. Patrick.
- Swenson, Kyle (March 5, 2018). "In 2004, he walked into school with a shotgun. Today – from prison – he weighs in on Parkland". The Spokesman-review. The Spokesman-review. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- Liquori, Donna (December 19, 2004). "Student Agrees to 20-Year Term After Nonfatal Shooting Spree in High School". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- Hincks, Joseph (March 4, 2018). "This Man Is in Prison for Opening Fire in a High School. He Says the Parkland Shooting Survivors Are 'Courageous and Inspiring'". Time Magazine. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- Edwards, Lynda J. "In letter, East Greenbush school shooter praises Florida advocates". Times Union. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- Staff, WRGB (December 15, 2020). "Jon Romano, convicted in 2004 East Greenbush school shooting, released from prison". WRGB. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- Brendan J. Lyons, Joshua Solomon. "Jon Romano, convicted in '04 school shooting, was victim in sword attack". Times Union. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- Rizzo, Sara (April 7, 2023). "Albany man sentenced to 25 years in sword attack case". News 10. News 10. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
- "Jon Romano (@jonseekingpeace2) | TikTok". TikTok. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2026.