‘F***ing devil': NY school shooter Jon Romano recovering after being attacked by man with SWORD
ALBANY, NEW YORK: A man who served 16 years in prison for the 2004 school shooting in upstate New York was attacked by a vagabond with a sword at the homeless shelter where he now works and is going viral with open TikTok updates on his recovery. According to The Times-Union, Jon Romano was released from prison in 2020 and had to have his arms reattached after they were severed during the terrifying attack in Albany on August 29. He also suffered serious injuries to his head and legs.
In the first of nine TikTok videos he recorded from his hospital bed last week, Romano, 34, discussed the experience of a range of emotions, from pessimism to optimism. His videos on TikTok accumulated views ranging from a few hundred to over a million. In one of the videos, 34 year old said, "The guy comes running right at me screaming ‘f***ing white devil.’ And you know, I run, ha. I run for my life literally."
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According to Romano, the assault began when he confronted a homeless shelter patron who was using racial slurs while eating lunch. He remembered that the attacker, who was armed with two swords and said, "He caught me on the stairway and knocked me down and I'm lying on the stairs." He added, "He just starts swinging the swords, and he’s chopping up my legs real bad and I’m still holding them up even as they’re falling apart."
Romano claimed to have passed out before awakening to the insane man hacking off his arms. "I don’t know why I’m alive to this day,” he said through tears. “I’ve been in the hospital for three and a half weeks now. I can’t really move my arms or my legs, I can move my left one a little bit but not my hands and I got pins holding my bones together. And I’ve lost all independence man I’m just lying in bed 24/7."
Romano can be seen soaking up the sun in a hospital courtyard in one of the videos published on Sunday. With a wide smile on his face, he said, "It’s a gorgeous day and I just wanted to share it with y'all. And I really needed this and I’m so happy for this. I'm happy to be alive."
Randell Mason, 42, the suspect, is accused of numerous felonies, including attempted first-degree murder. He allegedly told police that he "chopped up" Romano following an argument. According to the Times-Union, Romano has been looking for redemption for the shooting that took place at Columbia High School, which is located in the Albany suburbs, almost two decades ago.
Romano, who was 16 at the time, injured a teacher with a 12-gauge shotgun blast as students and staff looked on before an assistant principal tackled and disarmed him, per the local media source. He served his time in prison until 2020 after being found guilty of attempted murder. Since then, he had been employed at the Community Connections Drop-In Center, which is located not far from the state Capitol in the impoverished Arbor Hill neighborhood.
Romano's followers expressed their wishes for his recovery. One user wrote, "Happy for you Jon. You’re on an uphill battle we can’t imagine. Thank you for inspiring us. Another penned, "love and light to you 💜 thank you for not giving up."