This Friday, Sept. 12, 2014, photo shows the Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima, Ohio. TJ Lane, a teenager convicted of killing three students at an Ohio high school, climbed over a fence Thursday to escape the state prison with two other prisoners. He was caught nearly six hours later early Friday as he hid by a nearby church in Lima.LIMA, Ohio – Prison officials were warned about an escape the day before three inmates, including a school shooter who killed three students, scrambled over a fence for minutes or hours of freedom before being recaptured, the union representing Ohio guards said Friday.
One inmate was put in segregation when an escape plan was discovered on Wednesday, the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association said in a statement. That inmate was housed in the same unit as the three who escaped the following evening, and prison officials didn’t take additional steps to secure the unit, the union said.
A message was left with the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
The three escaped prisoners, including convicted Chardon High School shooter T.J. Lane, were recaptured by early Friday morning.
Lane, 19, was caught only about 100 yards from the prison by two state troopers at 1:20 a.m. Friday. A second prisoner had been caught almost immediately, and troopers apprehended the third three hours after finding Lane.