School shooter released from prison
A man who shot and injured six people in a 1999 shooting at a metro Atlanta high school was released from prison Tuesday, according to Channel 2 Action News.
T.J. Solomon was 15 years old when he used his stepfather’s .22-caliber rifle and a .357-caliber Magnum revolver to open fire inside Heritage High School’s commons area. The shooting at the Rockdale County school occurred one month after the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado.
Solomon was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in 2000 after his lawyers said he was mentally ill. Rockdale County Superior Court Judge Sidney Nation later reduced his sentence to 20 years, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Solomon walked out of prison Tuesday after serving 17 years and two months of that 20-year sentence.
» PHOTOS: Take a look back at the T.J. Solomon hearings from 1999 and 2000
The State Board of Pardons and Paroles told Channel 2 Solomon has shown signs of rehabilitation during his imprisonment. However, he will not be able to visit any Georgia schools or have any contact with the victims.
Richard Read, the Rockdale County District Attorney who helped put Solomon in prison, says he is concerned about Solomon’s early release.
“The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior,” he told Channel 2. “Well, part of his past behavior is walking into a high school setting and shooting six kids.”
