CEDARVILLE, Ohio — Logan Cole’s life changed forever the day he was shot inside his Ohio high school. He believes the events of that day pushed him to succeed.
Jan. 20, 2017 is a day Cedarville University recent graduate Cole will never forget. That day, the West Liberty Salem High School Junior prepared to leave school for a mock trial, but before leaving, he stopped by the restroom.
“There is a masked individual with a shotgun leveled at me,” said Cole. “So he instantly shoots me in the chest. I spin around, and he shoots me again in the back.”
It all happened so fast, Cole couldn’t believe it. He immediately fell to the floor, hitting his teeth on the concrete.
“It kind of felt like a big bean bag hitting you really hard in the chest is what it felt like,” he said. “And there wasn’t really time to process it. It was just trying to survive, I guess.”
The gunman left and began firing shots at classroom doors. At this point, no one else was hit. As Cole was pulling himself off the ground to seek safety, the gunman returned and Cole said he had a conversation with him that he believes is what kept him alive.
“I pretty much pleaded with him to get help, to not hurt anyone else and not hurt himself and just go and get help,” said Cole.
The shooter, who was actually a student at the school, dropped his gun, and moments later, was taken into custody. As for Cole, he was rushed to the hospital where he stayed for 15 days. Once released, he wore a neck brace for three months.
“The doctors said that if that it was just a fraction of an inch to the right, the main shot in my back, my spine would have either been severed or bullets would have gone through my heart,” he said.
Over the past five years, Cole has gone through a lot of spiritual, physical and emotional healing. Although his physical wounds have healed, he still has a lot of back pain and has high levels of lead in his body because of the bullets. But through it, all he said is he’s grateful to still be alive, and it’s his faith that got him through.
“I think really after this shooting, I was put into a position where I realized how serious I should take my faith and what God can do,” he said.
He’s earned his college degree from Cedarville University in information technology management. He’s ready for the next challenge: starting his career, working for his family packaging company and looking forward to whatever new adventures life has to bring.
“It’s really exciting just to know that I’m moving on to the next stage and just get to explore so many new things and environments,” he said.
In 2018, a judge sentenced the shooter to 23.5 years in prison.
