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“I just dropped off at school the bravest kid I know,” his mother, Julie Cole, posted on Facebook. “Logan Cole, you inspire me daily. You have taught me more in these last three weeks than you will ever know. You have more faith, strength, confidence, love and forgiveness than men twice your age. I could not be prouder to be your mom.”
Logan was shot twice, once in the chest and once in the side, during the school shooting. He was taken to Nationwide, where he was placed into the intensive care unit. Logan was taken out of the ICU after several days but was told he would have to undergo heart surgery to remove a pellet in one of the chambers of his heart or risk infection, his family said.
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Doctors couldn’t completely remove the pellet, but were able to move it out of his heart and to a less dangerous place.
“Our family is so thankful that Logan was able to return to school today,” Logan’s father, Ryan Cole, said in a statement to this news organization. “We continue to be amazed by the love and support of the school staff and the community. A huge thank you to everyone who has been praying for Logan’s healing.”
While Monday was the first day back at school for Logan, it wasn’t the first time he has been seen in public. Logan had a long line of people meet him outside his house a week ago when he was released from the hospital and he attended a high school basketball game Friday night, where he was honored. In a video of the basketball game, Logan appears to be in a neck or back brace.
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The alleged shooter continues to be held at a juvenile detention center. Ely Serna, 17, faces multiple charges in connection with the shooting, including two counts of attempted murder; three counts of felonious assault; six counts of improperly discharging a firearm; and single counts of inducing panic and illegal conveyance of a deadly weapon in a school, according to the county prosecutor’s office.
Champaign County Juvenile Judge Lori Reisinger ordered a competency evaluation and hearing in the case at the request of the defense. The competency hearing is to determine whether Serna can understand court proceedings and if he will be able to assist in his own defense.
READ MORE: Judge orders competency hearing for West Liberty shooting suspect
Champaign County Prosecutor Kevin Talebi said Monday that the court is still awaiting the results of that evaluation, and once it comes through, a hearing will be set and the court will make decide how to proceed.
Another West Liberty student, Adam Schultz, was also hit by a pellet during the shooting but his injuries didn’t requirement medical treatment.
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