It was a typical winter Tuesday morning in NE Ohio. Snow was falling - it was cold and I was just waking up to start my day. At sometime around 8:30 or 9 am I was alerted to breaking news out of the town just 10 minutes South - called Chardon, OH. I had friends who lived there and my brother-in-law worked at the Home Depot. The news alert on my iphone flashed "Breaking: SCHOOL SHOOTING IN CHARDON". I immediately jumped up and turned on the television to live news coverage. And there is was - 6 students shot by a lone gunman in the high school. That gunman was a fellow 17-year-old student who made the decision on that day to sit in the cafeteria and open fire on innocent kids. Initially the reports were that those that were shot were in stable condition - but then within hours - 3 young men had lost their lives, one was paralyzed and two others, while 2 others would recover from their injuries - but would have to live the rest of their days remembering the horror of that day.
Tuesday, February 27, 2012 is the day that would change a community and a state forever. It was the day that gun violence hit home. It is one of those things that you think could never happen at your school. You go on through life thinking that school shootings are something that "happen to other people" - they couldn't possibly happen in your backyard. But on this day, it did. On this day it became real. In the days and months that follow NE Ohio came together. Schools all over the Greater Cleveland area wore Chardon's school colors - Red and Black. Nearly everyone that I know changed their facebook profile pictures to a Black ribbon with the words "Chardon" or "Hilltoppers" or "One Heartbeat". Pictures of students from schools standing an a heart formation holding signs of support for this small, snow-belt community known mainly for the huge amounts of snow they get in the winter and for the famous Maple Festival - a weekend long celebration commemorating the spring maple syrup harvest.
A local radio station was running a contest where one lucky high school could win the right to celebrate their prom at the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. A once in a lifetime celebration - the entire state pulled together and started the "Chardon for Rock the Prom" campaign - everyone wanted Chardon to win and they made sure that is what was going to happen - and it did. It was one of the greatest show of solidarity that I had ever experienced in my life and it made me realize just how GREAT my home state really is. We pull together and support each other in the toughest of times. When the days were rough, we always had each other to help get us through. Yes, even people who did not live in Chardon felt the pain of that day. We were neighbors and neighbors are there for each other in time of need.
Last year, just days before the 1 year anniversary, the gunman was found guilty of 3 counts of murder and 3 counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced to life in prison. He was not eligible for the death penalty because Ohio state law prohibits the death penalty when the perpetrator is under 18 when the crime is committed.
Today marks the two year anniversary and the shooting is still fresh in our minds and the pain is still deep. There have been other school shootings since that faithful day in February 2012 that have far overshadow the Chardon Shooting but for those of us that lived it. For those of us that witnessed the harsh reality of the world today - it will never be forgotten. I can go on and on about how I feel about gun violence and share my political opinions - but I won't. Not today - because that's not what today is about. Today is about recognizing and remember what happened to that sleepy little town east of Cleveland, OH.
RIP Demetrius Hewlin, Danny Parmertor and Russel King, Jr.
If you are interested in learning more about the Chardon High School Shootings visit:
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