The 5 most important things to know about the West Liberty-Salem shooting as sentencing nears

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Ely Serna, the teen who pleaded guilty to the West Liberty Salem High School shooting, is expected in court Wednesday for a sentencing.

Here are five important things to know about the incident and its aftermath.

1. The incident: Jan. 20, 2017

On Jan. 20, 2017, Serna allegedly brought a shotgun to school and opened fire in a school bathroom. He shot then-16-year-old Logan Cole twice and shot at a teacher before moving into the hallways and shooting at classrooms, according to police

ORGINIAL REPORT: West Liberty school shooting rocks tight-knit community

Serna was eventually tackled and apprehended by school staff, authorities say.

2. Depression, anxiety diagnoses 

Serna was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety following the shooting by a psychologist and psychiatrist, according to court testimony. The defense attempted to use the diagnosis to throw out his confession to authorities hours after he was arrested.

READ: Defense: West Liberty school shooting suspect had depression

However, Champaign County Common Pleas Court Judge Nick Selvaggio ruled the confession could be used in court.

3. Logan’s recovery

The primary victim of the West Liberty-Salem shooting, Logan Cole, has made a major recovery following the shooting. Cole almost died from the shotgun blasts, but he later played soccer in his senior season and was named Homecoming king.

EXTRA: Logan Cole remembers West Liberty school shooting one year later

4. Impact on schools across Champaign County

Champaign County schools responded to the shooting by sending gifts and well-wishes to the school and by improving security on their own campuses.

In the Urbana City School district, leaders considered escape routes in their new building for students in case of a school shooting.

DETAILS: New $25M Urbana high school on track for opening after break

At Triad, when leaders brought new windows, they made sure that each classroom had an egress window for an easy escape.

5. Impact on West Liberty-Salem community 

West Liberty-Salem is a community that prayed for both Cole and Serna after the shooting, residents told the Springfield News-Sun one year after the shooting.

However, the shooting has made a lasting impact.

“Everybody has been left with a new sense of normal,” said West Liberty-Salem Superintendent Kraig Hissong.

READ: West Liberty-Salem still healing 1 year after school shooting

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