OT-school shooting in Chardon, Ohio

Submitted by kehnonymous on

http://abcnews.go.com/US/chardon-high-school-shooting-gunman-identified-tj-lane/story?id=15799815

Wow.  In case anyone else (like me) didn't know this yesterday, there was a shooting at the high school in Chardon, Ohio.  I grew up in a northeastern suburb of Cleveland, and Chardon wasn't that far away.  Initially for some reason I got the impression from thirdhand radio that no one was killed.  Sadly this isn't true; as of today there have been two deaths and three wounded.

kehnonymous

February 28th, 2012 at 9:38 AM ^

Yeah, that made me go '...wha?' Obviously the rivalry and hatred for OSU takes a back seat to all of this, but I'll admit I saw that picture and was a teeny bit ashamed for thinking for a split second that my first thought was 'Please don't let the shooter be a Michigan fan' 

Wave83

February 28th, 2012 at 9:43 AM ^

I hadn't seen that picture either.  I'm also glad the shooter didn't target the Michigan kid (although these shooters, whatever they are thinking, aren't thinking about football rivalries).

The picture caused me to think about my son, a senior at Solon High School, who happily (and bravely, I think) wears Michigan gear to school.

Wave83

February 28th, 2012 at 9:41 AM ^

Very Sad.  I live in a southeastern suburb of Cleveland and Chardon is not that far away.  It has been all over the news for 24 hours -- I'm actually surprised you just heard about it.  The news media moved into Chardon by last evening and seem to be camped out there.

Chardon is a nice town in a generally rural county.  It is in the midst of the snow belt.  Chardon is Ohio's Mancelona.

Having survived an office shooting 18 years ago in California, I am particularly sensitive to these tragedies.  Losing kids so young, and having so many other kids have to deal with the loss of their friends and the loss of their security is terrible.

Subrosa

February 28th, 2012 at 12:02 PM ^

101 California? I'm guessing that was the shooting you survived, as it was around that timeframe.

I pass by there every day and remember that day like it was yesterday. (My father worked across the street at the time.)

kehnonymous

February 28th, 2012 at 9:51 AM ^

I was in Flint, Michigan (I really need to pick out better places to live) for a school shooting there in 2001 - this one was arguably the most appalling one I've heard about because the assailant was a freaking 6-year old.  Jeez. I wish I was making that up.

Laser Wolf

February 28th, 2012 at 9:59 AM ^

Grew up in Strongsville southwest of Cleveland, now living on the east side in Cleveland Heights, which about 20 miles from Chardon. Everybody here is just shocked. It all hits a little too close to home.

BlueGoM

February 28th, 2012 at 10:09 AM ^

There are reports that claim the shooter was frequently bullied and lived in a very unstable family situation (father arrested repeatedly).   Also sad.

SoCalWolverine

February 28th, 2012 at 10:24 AM ^

I think the truly scary part about this is the "ANOTHER" part. In some circles, it almost feels like we are numb to the situation now. It's a horrible tradgedy, but the part that worries me the most is that we aren't shocked by them anymore, it's almost become commonplace and that is sad. We just continue to see things like this, and take no course of corrective action, though, admittedly, I don't know what that corrective action might be.

Blue in Yarmouth

February 28th, 2012 at 2:24 PM ^

but the point about not taking corrective action is incorrect IMHE. Now I live in Canada so I can't speak for what has been done in the USA, but in Canada things have evolved significantly since the first VT shooting a few years ago. 

I am close frends with the superintendent of the local school board and we have often discussed the various changes that have taken place since that time and they are considerable. From extensive emeregncy management plans that are developed with the envolvement of the various emergency services groups to the extensive training of all staff in terms of how to recognize high risk children and how to interact during (and de-escalate) volatile situations. 

I guess what I am saying is at least in Canada the corrective action has been going on for a very long time (as I am sure is the case in the USA). The problem is that even when a school is as prepared as they possibly can be, if a person has a gun and is intent on using it for a specific puprose, there isn't much that can be done about it. 

The one thing that has to stay in the forefront is there is always more that can be done, and there are very important lessons to be learned from every tragedy such as this that will make people a little more prepared/aware in the future. It would make things even worse if we weren't smart enough to learn from terrible things like this.

MaizedOUTinoh

February 28th, 2012 at 10:24 AM ^

My heart goes out to the families in Chardon. People around NE Ohio are wearing red and black today to support the hilltoppers colors. That being said My problem is with the parents. If you have a gun in the house it should be locked. Parents need to be held accountable for these tragedies as well. I think if an incident like this occurs where a weapon was used from within the home a strong mandatory sentence should be imposed on the parents. People might start locking their guns and incidents like these might occur less.

74polSKA

February 28th, 2012 at 10:47 AM ^

If a kid is that angry or depressed or whatever, he'll find a way to hurt people.  You may have one student killed in a stabbing instead of 2 dead and 2 injured in a shooting, but it will happen.  It's a cliche but true that guns don't kill people, people kill people.

JamieH

February 28th, 2012 at 11:05 AM ^

It is exponentially harder to inflict huge amounts of lethal damange to multiple targets with a knife than it is with a gun.   It's also a hell of a lot easier to run away from someone with a knife than someone firing bullets.

Your cliche is wrong.  People kill people.  But people will guns kill more people, more easily

Anyway, the idea that you shouldn't be responsible and keep your weapons locked safely away from your kids just because they will just find some other way to murder their classmates is pretty ridiculous.

Note:  We do not know (the last time I checked)  where this kid got the gun from.

74polSKA

February 28th, 2012 at 11:17 AM ^

This is already getting borderline political but we'll go a little further down the rabbit hole.  I wasn't saying you shouldn't keep your firearm in a secure place and handle it responsibly.  I'm saying that all the things we blame on our condition as a society are tools and people are the ones using or misusing them.  You can't blame in inanimate object for your problems or regulate its responsible use.  PEOPLE will find a way to abuse it.  I don't want to live in a society where everything that could be deemed dangerous is banned.

JamieH

February 28th, 2012 at 11:53 AM ^

There is a pretty large gap between "let's ban anything in our society that is dangerous" and "let's keep items which were designed almost exlusively to kill things away from your kids."

I didn't say no one should own guns.  I said if you aren't resourceful or careful enough to find a way to keep your guns away from your kids, (when they are unsupervised)  then you shouldn't own guns. 

74polSKA

February 28th, 2012 at 12:05 PM ^

I understand and agree.  I didn't make the jump from your original comment to my last comment.  There was some escalation in there.  Again, I never meant to imply that you shouldn't be responsible with dangerous items in your house.  I'm just saying it's not as simple as blaming that item or a parent for a kid's actions.  There are parents who do everything in their power to do right by their children and they still go sideways.

Blue since birth

February 28th, 2012 at 2:38 PM ^

I'm surprised something so politcal is being allowed here (wish it wasn't).

But I think you completely missed the point...

Exchange "knife" for "can of gas" or "homemade bomb" or "vehicle" or "common household cleaning chemicals". There are many ways for a determined individual to inflict mass casualities using common items. I agree that we should be much more worried about the cause here... Rather than the method.

Blue in Yarmouth

February 28th, 2012 at 2:59 PM ^

Especially considering the fact that it hasn't even been disclosed (at least to my knowledge) how he got the gun, the rants about parents locking up their guns is totally ridiculous...where did that come from anyway? At least the other poster is on point. It takes a person to load a gun, aim at a person and pull a trigger. If they are determined to kill people they will find a way gun or no gun.

BlueGoM

February 28th, 2012 at 12:38 PM ^

No one knows where he got the firearm from, yet.  I haven't seen it reported.

Secondly the report I read said the the shooter was living with an assortment of relatives, perhaps even bouncing from one home to another.

Lastly the worry about guns is treating a symptom.  There are reports, some contradictory at this time, that the kid was a frequent target of bullying.  Until something is done in the school system to cut down bullying dramatically, there will always be a kid who decides he can't take it anymore and brings in a gun, knife, or makeshift bomb. 

 

Phelpszilla

February 28th, 2012 at 10:50 AM ^

I live in Mentor, OH which is 10 miles from Chardon, OH and even though I'm not personally affected by what happend - moved here from Wisconsin two years ago -, it still touches close to my heart...Prayers to all involved, and a speedy recovery to the children who are still in the hospital.

Eat Your Wheatlies

February 28th, 2012 at 10:52 AM ^

Very eerie feeling seeing an incident like that take place and thinking that I could have been a part of it. My ex-girlfriend graduated from there about 10 years ago, so Im familiar with the area. Such a sad story, and my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims.

Butterfield

February 28th, 2012 at 11:23 AM ^

Horrible story, but is it just me or have these types of incidents become more infrequent over the past several years.  It seems like after Columbine we would have one or two of these a week somewhere in the country.  Perhaps we still do and they just don't get the press they used to receive?  Any sociology people out there who may have a better idea on the trends than me? 

clarkiefromcanada

February 28th, 2012 at 11:26 AM ^

I feel for the families involved and my sympathies would be extended to them. As to the above debates re gun safety and gun control now is certainly not the time or place. Let's respect these families who have so tragically lost their loved ones in their time of mourning. There is a time and place for that debate but right now is neither the time nor the place.

Benoit Balls

February 28th, 2012 at 12:31 PM ^

Chardon was in our league growing up (CVC). I've had friends from Chardon, and still have friends and family living there. My sister and brother in law recently moved to a small town about 5 miles away from Chardon. When they made the move, my neice had the opportunity to choose between going to Chardon High or a neighboring district that had open enrollment for all residents of the county, if they were able to provide their own transportation.  Thankfully, she chose the other school, or else she would have been there yeaterday.  Sadly she and her sister have many many friends who were there, so its awful for them anyhow, Im sure.

Putting it even closer to home, the families of two of the victims live in my Mother-in-law's subdivision, and her husband is friends with one of the families. 

 

Benoit Balls

February 28th, 2012 at 2:04 PM ^

It's still pretty sheltered over there for the most part. After college, I came back and lived in in an Apt on Chagrin Blvd for a bit, the moved to a house in Lyndhurst.

 I think a lot of it has to do with kids being bored. There's just not much to do out that way, and idle hands being the devils playground and all that. I used to throw some rather large social functions back in the day (living on 600 acres makes it easier) and really, that's all there was to do. We couldn't even get a coffee at that place on Chagrin because we weren't old enough (yes, they literally banned anyone under 19 after 7pm). With nowhere to go and not much to do, stupid things start to happen.

Tater

February 28th, 2012 at 12:36 PM ^

The one thing that does disturb me, though, is that this kid put stuff up on FB that indicated severe trouble, but nobody did anything about it.  This is where some kind of system is needed where someone can at least try to intervene in the lives of kids publishing things that indicate they may soon be involved in acts of terrorism.  

Could intervention such as FB notifying his local police have stopped this?  Maybe not.  But it would be nice if they had at least tried.

74polSKA

February 28th, 2012 at 1:49 PM ^

I've gotten caught up in the back and forth in this thread.  A good friend of my wife and mine is from Chardon and still has family in the area.  It is a very sad situation and I pray for comfort to everyone involved.

markusr2007

February 28th, 2012 at 1:59 PM ^

the bullying finally stopped. 

His dysfunctional parental units are responsible for this horror. Unlike driving a car, opening a business or operating a freight train,  you don't need a certification or a license to become a parent. With an unregulated industry like parenting, and with rampant divorce, teenage pregnancy, drug-abuse, alcoholism, medical disabilities and chronic unemployment, the school district is not going to fill the gaps left by incompetent parents. No freaking way.

I'm afraid, we are going to have to accept a growing number of children perpetrating violent crimes like this in the future.  Especially when the overwhelming response to these new types of bullying is, "not my child". 

No, your child too.