CHARDON, Oh. February 27, 2012 – A lone high school student entered the cafeteria of a Cleveland area public high school this morning and suddenly opened fire on a group of fellow students seated at one of the tables. By the time the surprise attack at Chardon High School ended, five students, four males and one female, had been wounded, one of them fatally.
While some students have related their experiences to the media, precise information surrounding the attack remains mostly anecdotal.
Police and school officials were able to evacuate the remaining students to nearby schools where shocked parents later arrived to pick them up. FBI agents also appeared at the scene to assist.
Helicopter arrives at the scene of Chardon, Ohio high school shooting. (AP/Tony Dejak.)
According to the local sheriff’s office, the victims of the attack were transported to two area hospitals, MetroHealth and the Cleveland Clinic’s Hillcrest Hospital. One of the victims at MetroHealth, identified by officials as Daniel Parmertor, died from his injuries.
The alleged teenage assailant reportedly escaped from the scene of the shooting in an automobile. Conflicting media reports alternately have him surrendering himself to law enforcement officials or being apprehended near the high school.
Local officials are currently withholding the name of the suspect.
Parents escorting evacuated students home from Chardon Middle School campus. (AP/Mark Duncan.)
As of this hour, TV, radio, and wire reports still differ on precisely where Daniel Parmertor was shot. At least one report places Parmertor’s shooting at a bus stop, not the cafeteria.
Parmertor’s family issued the following statement to the media:
“We are shocked by this senseless tragedy. Danny was a bright young boy who had a bright future ahead of him. The family is torn by this loss. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.”
Police SWAT team arrives this morning at Chardon High School. (AP/Mark Duncan.)
This afternoon, Ohio Governor John Kasich issued the following statement:
“Please join me in praying for the students who’ve been injured in this horrible crime. Praise goes to the Chardon Police and Geauga County Sheriff’s office for quickly getting this situation under control. I’ve pledged Ohio’s full support to them, the school and the local community in this difficult time.”
The alleged gunman was said to have been an outcast and a loner at the school. The motive for the attack appears to have been bullying, not an infrequent issue in American high schools today and one that continues to confound parents, teachers, and law enforcement officials alike.
Numerous commentators on various websites have predictably begun recycling the usual gun control arguments in response to this shooting. However, most of these comments continue to ignore the fact that banning drugs hasn’t erased that problem either.
Read more of Terry’s news and reviews at Curtain Up! in the Entertain Us neighborhood of the Washington. For Terry’s investing insights, visit his Communities column, The Prudent Man in Politics.
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