to life in prison without parole, but not before sparking nationwide outrage and condemnation with his despicable courtroom antics.
Judge David Fuhry sentenced TJ Lane to life in prison without parole on each of three aggravated murder charges.
Lane's attorney Ian Friedman told the court during a sentencing hearing Tuesday that Lane did not wish his defense team to present any witnesses, statements or other evidence to mitigate his sentence.
The 18-year-old entered the courtroom dressed in a light-blue button down shirt, which he then removed to reveal a white T-shirt with the word 'KILLER' written over the front with a black marker.
Twitter instantly lit up with posts expressing disbelief and shock at the defendant's callous behavior, with many commenters calling Lane 'sickening' and 'not human.'
When Lane addressed the court, he flipped the middle finger and used profane language toward those in the audience, including the victims' families.
'This hand that pulled the trigger that killed your sons now masturbates to the memory. F*** all of you,' the gunman said, causing those in the audience to gasp in shock.
'Frankly, I wasn't prepared for this,' the prosecutor said moments after Lane's gesture. He said the action was proof that Lane is a 'disgusting human being,' and that the rampage was a 'cold, calculated, premeditated killing,' ABC News reported.
Prosecutor James Flaiz went on to say: 'He still refuses to offer any explanation for why he did this. The only explanation I can offer the court is he is an evil person.'
Lane's guilty plea on February 26 came on the eve of the anniversary of the attacks. Daniel Parmertor, Russell King Jr., and Demterius Hewlin were killed and three others were wounded, two seriously, including Nick Walczak who is now confined to a wheelchair.
Lane wasn't subject to the death penalty because he was 17 at the time of the crimes.
On Tuesday, Lane turned out in court wearing a white T-shirt with the word 'Killer' written on the front - the same word police say the 18-year-old had scrawled on his shirt the day of the deadly shootings.
Lane has never offered a motive for the massacre. Addressing the court during his sentencing, the 18-year-old flipped his middle finger to those who gathered inside the courtroom, among them the victims' families.
'I feel he should be locked up for the rest of his life,' Domenick Iammarino, grandfather of Daniel Parmertor told The Plain Dealer ahead of the sentencing. 'It was a despicable, premeditated act. He should breathe his last breath in prison.'
Judge David L. Fuhry described the shootings as a 'merciless rampage,' noting Lane's apparent lack of remorse as part of his reasoning for the sentence, CBS21 reported.
'It appears to the court that the defendant simply wished to make a name for himself, to make a big splash, to make front-page news,' the judge said.
The station WAFF reported that after being collared by police following the rampage, Lane was recorded in a squad car saying: 'I shot people.' When asked by an officer why he did it, the teen replied: 'I don't know.'
The defendant smiled and smirked as the victims' loved ones addressed the court with emotional impact statements.
'You are lucky there are so many police in this room,' said the mother of paralyzed student Nick Walczak. 'You can smile all you want. You are evil.'
Danny Parmertor's mother, Dina, told the court that she has spent every day since her son's murder in pain and tears, The Plain Dealer reported.
'You don't deserve to be called human,' the grieving mother told Lane. 'You are a monster. You are a weak, pathetic, vile coward.'
Dina Parmetor also added: 'I want you to be ensured years and years of pain, which in my opinion is not enough. You don't deserve to take another breath while my 16-year-old son lies in the ground because of your cold, disgusting actions.'
Defense attorney Ian Friedman said Lane plans to file an appeal, and has asked the court to appoint him a lawyer for that process.
'The defense is deeply sorry for the families, all of the families’ pain, all of the families that have been affected by this,' Friedman said. 'There’s nothing we can say that’s going to lessen that.'
TJ Lane's sister, Sadie, released a statement to the media following the sentencing, expressing condolences to the families of the victims and revealing that her own family continues to struggle with the aftermath of the tragedy.
'It may be hard for some to understand, but I love my brother, and hope that wherever the sentence and life takes him in the future that he can touch others' lives in a positive way from a point of view that only he can give,' she said.
Addressing her sibling's shocking demeanor during the Tuesday hearing, Sadie said: 'The brother in the courtroom and [the one] that did this is not the brother I knew.'
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