A school shooter who spent 20 years in prison has complained he is being harassed online after he shared the aftermath of the shooting on TikTok, showing the hallways where he terrorized his classmates.
Jon Romano, who goes by “Jon Seeking Peace” on TikTok, was 16 when he opened fire at Columbia High School in New York in 2004, wounding a teacher.
The 35-year-old was released in December 2020 and has since amassed 254,000 followers on TikTok, where he claims to work on violence prevention. His biography reads: ‘After you’ve been part of the problem, it’s time to be part of the solution.’
Roman disabled his comments earlier this month after posting a video showing the school hallways after the shooting “for educational purposes.” In the chilling clip, Romano recounts his actions as he walked through the school with the gun, leaving students traumatized.
‘This is the view I had in the hallway when I came around the corner. Two students came around the other corner and I shot up and away from them, hitting the higher part of the wall, and you’ll see where it hit the ceiling,” Romano says in the clip.
Jon Romano, who goes by “Jon Seeking Peace” on TikTok, was 16 when he opened fire at Columbia High School in New York in 2004, wounding a teacher
The 35-year-old was released in December 2020 and has since amassed 254,000 followers on TikTok. Pictured: Romano, 16, being led away in handcuffs after the shooting at Columbia High School in East Greenbush, New York on February 4, 2004
‘My intention was not to kill, but to die in front of other people and I knew that whatever I did I would traumatize them. “I wanted to share my pain with others and I regret it more than anything, but I want people to know what happened that day,” he added.
‘I just wanted to see people and for them to see me. “I can’t justify what I did, but I didn’t mean to kill.”
Romano went on to say that he spared the lives of several terrified students who crossed his path during the shooting, noting that he only fired the weapon at walls and the ceiling.
But many have taken issue with Romano’s use of social media and expressed outrage at his content, particularly the school hallway video taken immediately after the shooting.
“My comment section is disabled because anyone who said anything positive about me was harassed and even threatened, and this includes some of my former classmates who were there on the day of the shooting and now support what I am doing today and try to prevent future shootings prevent… So no, we’re not going to do that.’
Before he disabled his comments, social media users criticized Romano for his videos.
In the chilling clip, Romano recounts his actions as he walked through the school with the gun, leaving students traumatized
A TikTok user who goes by youcancallmekait said, “This man shouldn’t have a platform. You said your victims are re-traumatized every time a mass event occurs. Don’t you think just seeing you is triggering? I don’t believe for a second that you actually want to help. You just want attention.’
Another added: He is not a healed person. He is not reformed. He has not been rehabilitated. So don’t give him a platform anymore. Stop rushing to defend him.”
A third user asked, “Why is there a known school shooter here?”
To which Romani replied, “Well, because I want to help prevent future school shootings.”
Romano was stopped by the school’s principal, John Sawchuk, who tried to take the gun from him. During the struggle, the gun went off and injured a teacher who was nearby.
In 2018, after the Parkland high school shooting, Romano wrote a letter from prison praising Florida students for being “courageous and inspiring” while demanding politicians take action on gun violence.
He wrote the letter in response to journalist Chris Churchill’s February 21 column, which featured an interview with hero and Columbia director Sawchuk.
Romano was stopped by the school’s principal, John Sawchuk (pictured), who tried to take the gun from him
Romano wrote that Sawchuk “is a hero to whom I owe my life.”
“I know that every time there is another terrible shooting, he and all my victims are going to be hurt again because of what I did to them,” he admitted.
“I want to take away their pain, but knowing that I can’t, I want to prevent others from experiencing this pain.”
Romano wrote that he had plans to “advocate for gun safety and mental health reform after my release.”
“I also believe that the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida are courageous and inspiring to speak out and demand action from politicians.”
Romano then called on the nation to demand “life-saving policy changes from their representatives.”
“Only then could this generation be the last generation living in a country plagued by gun violence,” he concluded in the letter.
Romano then called on the nation to demand “life-saving policy changes from their representatives.”
“Only then could this generation be the last generation living in a country plagued by gun violence,” he concluded in the letter.