As the parent of a high school daughter, I was horrified to hear that there was a shooting early this morning at a local high school here in the Cleveland, Ohio area just about 40 minutes from where I live.
The shooting took place at a rural suburban high school in Chardon, Ohio that is about 1 hour east of Cleveland, in a small town with spread out homes, and some farms, an area that you would never expect something like this to happen.
We hear so many stories of distress, upheaval, and violence at high schools in the poorer sections of Cleveland's inner city, but who would have thought a rural community like Chardon would have a shooting. This just goes to show that high school shootings can literally happen anywhere, even at the local high school that my daughter attends.
According to news stories so far, the shooting started in the high school cafeteria, where students were eating breakfast before their first period classes. Several students contacted their parents via cell phone to let them know what was going on.
As the students were sitting and eating, one boy got up and started shooting. At this point in time, news reports are saying that 3 boys and 1 girl have been injured, and that there is one suspect in the shooting. The one boy has been arrested, although he ran off at first, and was chased by a teacher.
Police have not released much information, other than to say that the school is on lockdown, and that they are going building by building to search for the suspect who got away.
As the mother of a high school student, I can only tell you that while I am relieved that this is not happening at my daughter's school, the knowledge that it could have just as likely been at her school is frightening. My heart goes out to the parents of Chardon students, who are surely horrified, frightened, and filled with worry for their own kids, and those who have been injured.
High schools today are very different from when we attended them, just one generation ago. In my daughter's school, there are security guards in place the entire time that the students are there attending class, and strict rules as to when people can be inside the building. With the ability for students to communicate via cell phones and texting, word can pass immediately to groups of people who are bound and determined to cause harm. Many schools have metal detectors to keep guns and knives out of school, but the potential for violence is always there, with the backdrop of teenage hormones to exacerbate any potential problems.
I hope that the Chardon police and community find the perpetrators, and the injured students recover quickly, but the fact that the incident happened in a beautiful small suburban town outside of Cleveland, is proof that there is a brewing problem in our communities that can foster this type of violence in teenagers that live side beside with us.
How do we stop it?
Cleveland.com: 1 student killed, several hurt in shooting at Chardon High School; suspect in custody
ABC News: Students shot Ohio high school
CBS News: Chardon High School shooting
Fox News: Chardon High School on Lockdown
Cleveland.com: Witness to Chardon High School shooting still in shock
Cleveland.com: Chardon High School video shows students being shot in cafeteria
ABC News: Chardon High School Shooting: Gunman Identified as TJ Lane
We now know three days after the shooting that 3 students have died so far from the attack, and it was caused just by one student who says that he shot randomly. In one sense, the school was lucky that a teacher chased him off, so that there were no more injuries, yet how can that be determined to be luck.
I am so sick over this incident, and my heart is bleeding for the parents of the injured and dead children. And almost as sick over whatever caused T.J. Lane to decide that the only way to get the attention he needed was to shoot his fellow students.
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Comments
@Dustytoes They still haven't released much information about the kid who did the shooting, although he was in a program for at risk kids, and lived with grandparents.
I still have a son in school too, and this news was just horrifying. Keep guns locked up and out of reach of your kids people!!!
I don't think such behavior has anything to do with living in the urban areas. And your article proves the fact it can happen everywhere (you already said that). Maybe it sounds strange to someone but those shooters were victims too. They probably were ignored, molested and abused by parents, friends and/or teachers. No one is born with instinkt to kill. Something must be the trigger.
Proper relationship between children and parents is crucial IMO. If child can't share fears and problems to his parents, that will lead to mental issues. It will even lead to this.
I am sorry to hear this happened. Schools should be places where we are prepared for life, and not where we are being killed.
Thank you for this article!
I too am a parent of a high school student and pray every single day that he attends that nothing like this happens.
I wish I had the answer for how to stop this from ever happening again.
My prayers go out to everyone affected by this incident. So tragic.
I don't know what I would do if I still had a child in high school. Ever since Columbine, kids think this is a cool way to solve problems. They don't stop to think of the consequences. According to Dr. Phil, the frontal cortex of the brain isn't fully developed until we're 25 years old, and that's the part of the brain that understands cause and effect.
FNC told of second 17 year old student has died :( There are no words to truly express the sorrow.
What makes our kids feel they must seek the attention of the world by doing these sorts of things?
I'm still, well sad, so sad this is still happening and have to talk to my daughters about what to do if they hear shots or sounds of such. Their Dad just took them to the firing range for a lesson in gun safety. It is so very sad. I thought about you and am very glad to see you and your daughter are well this am. Although the school systems say their working hard to address such issues, I feel troubled kids don't go unnoticed, people just turn a blind eye. I've heard countless stories of other class mates talking about the odd behavior of a class mate but rarely see the teachers and or staff address it, privacy or something, if the parents don't ask for help..... Oh my my thoughts and prayers are with the community and youth everywhere!
When I read this story yesterday, I cried. I cried for the students at that school and for the families. I believe one of the students died. I also cried because it is just so scary. Like you, I have a daughter in high school and just could not imagine going through that. Not too long ago there was a rumor on facebook that someone was going to bring a gun to my daughter's school. The rumor ended up being unfounded, but the reality is that we just never know. :(
Yes, now we know that one student died, two more are in critical condition. Very scary.
Ahh, this is so scary! I just heard about the Chardon High School shooting through a Facebook friend. I can't imagine the fear and anxiety that students, parents, and teachers must be going through right now.