<p>“The defense team is unlikely to even be in place yet so I wouldn’t be speculating about a defense strategy already being articulated.” </p>
<p>“Of course he had a lawyer with him in his court appearance. That’s how it works.”</p>
<p>I have noticed that many of these tragic shootings result in pleads of insanity and randomness. I’m not making a judgment there. And I stated his attorney said the shootings were random. I do assume his attorney is considering some type of defense. It is all very sad and I would not be at all surprised if mental illness is determined.</p>
<p>“Losing a child is one of the most devastating things a parent can experience, but the mother of Ohio school shooting victim Demetrius Hewlin believes in forgiveness, even under the circumstances.”</p>
<p>The students at Chardon High are meeting on the town green together and are walking to school together. Such a nice thing. Can’t take away the horrible things that happened, but it’s nice to see these high school students together.</p>
<p>Thanks for your thoughts. The 4th boy is still in ICU and the family is hoping he’ll get more feelings in his legs as he heals, but right now there is no feeling. I didn’t realize he was still in ICU, but he has improved.</p>
<p>The town continues to support the affected families in extraordinary ways. Yesterday the teachers and staff met to discuss their own feelings and how to help the students. The high school students are leading the way in showing their grief but providing strength, including raising money to help the families. Today the students are back at school, parents are invited also. Tomorrow resumes regular classes so they can try to get to a new normal. The most touching things I have seen from friends still there is that other schools having taken large group photos wearing Chardon colors (red/black) and holding signs like ‘Stand Strong’ and other words of support.</p>
<p>Now they are trotting out the usual “try him as an adult” garbage. He is NOT an adult. This makes me sick. It does not honor the dead, in the least.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if he should be tried as an adult or not. If there was any premeditation, then I believe he should be tried as an adult. It also upsets me that the the people who have seen the surveillance video say it shows that he pulled the gun out of his bag and shot the students from behind. They didn’t even have a chance - they didn’t even see it coming.</p>
<p>Well it’s all speculation and my deep sympathies to the families and the community. To do this, the person has to be very disturbed. Sounds like there was definitely bullying - from his family. Abuse and violence in the family can be just as damaging if not more so than bullying from other kids or teachers. Also, at the risk of being political, I hope that those who have been demeaning teachers and other public employees lately (not here on CC) would realize how critical emergency personnel, coaches and good teachers are, and what heroes they can be, and stop begrudging them professional wages and the other support they need to do a good job for all of us.</p>
<p>A number of high schools have begun to require their students to take yearly (or every six months?) mental health assessments, designed to identify which students may be clinically depressed, paranoid, hearing voices, fantasizing about violence, etc. In a country in which there are over 200 million privately-owned firearms – we need to take mental health MUCH more seriously. </p>
<p>Beyond this, I think we need to establish laws that connect civil liability with gun ownership – specifically, if you own a gun, and you don’t lock it up, and a relative/acquaintance appropriates the firearm and proceeds to harm others with it – your savings, property, insurance, etc. is all forfeit to the civil complainants who have been harmed. This would get people’s attention, and the Glock in Grandpa’s barn would be locked away from casual theft, as it should be.</p>
<p>The best way to honor the immeasurable and permanent losses represented by these senseless murders is to advocate for the obviously necessary change. </p>
<p>The odds of something like this happening at your child’s high school? Quite low. Until it happens to you. Then you realize that the low odds/catastrophic event equation is not quite what you thought.</p>
<p>Call your local high school about their mental health program. Call your Congressperson about necessary gun legislation. Enough.</p>
<p>According to the link above, he has been charged with “aggravated murder.” How does that compare to the 1st degree, 2nd degree, and manslaughter charges with which many of us are more familiar?</p>