20 YEARS LATER: East Greenbush school shooter on mission to keep others off wrong path
Jon Romano says he would like to have a conversation with his 16-year-old self.
Romano fired a gun inside Columbia High School in East Greenbush on Feb. 9, 2004. A teacher was hit before an assistant principal successfully tackled Romano.
Romano says he’s not looking for sympathy, he’s not making excuses, and he doesn’t harbor ill will toward anyone who still demonizes him.
WATCH: Our 2004 coverage of the shooting
What he wants people to know is that he’s always been sorry for what he did, and he’s trying to prevent others from becoming what he became in his troubled youth.
To make a difference for others, Romano has formed a most unusual partnership with a woman named Scarlett Lewis.
After her 6-year-old son, Jesse, was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, she created the “Choose Love” movement, hoping to teach children how to manage their emotions. She enlisted the help of Jon Romano.
Learn about how they’re now working together, by watching the video of Dan Levy’s story.