One student has died and four students were injured after they were shot in the cafeteria at Chardon High School in northeastern Ohio on Monday morning by what law enforcement officials said was a lone gunman now in police custody.
The gunman fled the high school building but was captured by the police nearby, reported John Horton for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland. He said a teacher had witnessed the shooting and chased the gunman, who escaped the building before he was caught.
The dead student was identified as Daniel Parmentor. His parents issued a statement to a local NBC television station, WKYC. “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.”
At a 4 p.m. news conference, law enforcement officials said two of the students are in critical condition. One student is in serious condition, and another student, an 18-year-old girl, is in stable condition.
Law enforcement officials did not identify the young man who was taken into custody after the shooting. Video of the suspect’s arrest was captured by a Cleveland television station, WKYC, which has been providing live coverage.
A dispatcher on The 911 tapes from the fire and police departments can be heard directing emergency medical officials to tend to three victims in the cafeteria and another victim in Room 200 of the high school of about 1100 students east of Cleveland. Four helicopters arrived at a Walmart parking lot to airlift the victims to Cleveland hospitals.
Cleveland’s Fox 8 News is livestreaming updates about the shooting, including a press conference scheduled at 4 p.m.
Parents descended on the school grounds after many were notified of the shooting via text messages from their children. The Plain Dealer reported that one parent, Jeannette Roth, said her son had told her the shooting took place in the cafeteria while the students were having breakfast. Ms. Roth said a boy suddenly “stood up and started shooting, and then it was chaos.”
Students in the cafeteria fled to classrooms that were locked for safety. The school remained on lock-down until around 8:30 a.m., when students began evacuating to a nearby elementary school. Family members were instructed to meet their children.
A local television reporter at the scene interviewed a grandfather who was picking up his grandson.
Local reports say some of the injured students were evacuated to hospitals in Cleveland. At a noon press conference, authorities said that one of the injured children had died. The extent of the injuries of the four other students is not known at this time.
The F.B.I. is now on the scene, assisting local law enforcement officials.
