Chardon High School shooting 10 years later

CHARDON, Ohio (WJW)– It’s been 10 years since a student opened fire in the cafeteria at Chardon High School.

Three students were killed and three more were injured during the shooting on Feb. 27, 2012. The shooter pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.

The victims:

Demetrius Hewlin

Demetrius Hewlin, or “D,” had a passion for fitness. He was laid to rest just two days before his 17th birthday. He was an organ donor.

Russell King Jr.

The 17-year-old enjoyed the outdoors and liked to fish. His classmates described him as upbeat and friendly. His father, Russell King Sr., died exactly two years later.

Danny Parmertor

The 16-year-old was known for his smile and laugh, both could brighten a room. Parmertor planned to go to college and study computer science, prompting his family to set up a scholarship in his honor.

The survivors:

Nick Walczak

Walczak was waiting for the bus to Auburn Career Center when he was shot four times. The fourth bullet left him paralyzed. A teacher dragged him into a classroom, where he called his girlfriend to tell her he was OK.

In the years that followed, Walczak did national interviews, where he advocated for more gun control.

Joy Rickers

Rickers was a senior at the time of the shooting. She was hospitalized for a gunshot wound to her backside.

Nate Mueller

Mueller was in the cafeteria with Hewlin, King and Parmertor. He was grazed in the ear by a bullet.

The following year, he traveled to Washington D.C. to speak with Congressional leaders about gun violence.

The stories:

Chardon Local Schools Superintendent Joseph Bergant II

“I was on my way to a training when I got the call Monday morning. My immediate response was, turn the car around and go to the high school,” Bergant said in April 2012. “When the alarm went off, the kids took it seriously. Step by step, people did what they needed to do.”

“A situation of this nature, there are three families that don’t have children. And I think about my own; that’s the piece that’s hard. Every time I think about the incident, I think about my own family. That’s hard. And if it happened to you, what would you do?” he said.

Bergant retired in 2013, staying an extra year to help the school cope with the tragedy. He passed away in July 2019.

Students Travis Carver and David Marks

The students were 16 and 17, and cadets at the local fire departments. They were just 20 feet away when the shooting started and provided first aid to one of the survivors until paramedics arrived.

“It’s just like, hey, somebody needs help, you help them. That’s what my parents have taught me, that’s what the fire department has taught me,” Carver said.

Authorities credited the teens with keeping people calm.

Football coach Frank Hall

“Started like any other day. Unfortunately minutes into school that day, things changed lots of lives forever.”

Hall, who worked as a study hall monitor, said he heard the shots and thought they were firecrackers.

“TJ with a gun in his hand. I ran at him, basically to get him out of the hallways. I chased after him until he ran out of the school,” Hall said. “A bullet came by. Whether he was shooting at me or other students, I’m not sure.”

Hall was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Geauga County Sheriff Dan McClelland

“The call came out, ‘Shots fired, Chardon school, active shooter at the high school.’ My first thought was, ‘I hope it was a drill and nobody told us,’” McClelland told FOX 8 in March 2012. He was among the first to respond to the scene.

“Inside, it felt a lot different than I thought it would feel. Staff, students, were remarkably calm. I had envisioned there would be far more panic in the school.”

McClelland grew up in Chardon and attended Chardon High School, where he met his wife.

“Chardon changed. I changed. Life throws you events that help you rearrange your priorities.  And going home and hugging your family needs to be your No. 1 priority,” McClelland. “You don’t know. You don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring. Enjoy today.”

McClelland was sheriff from 2003 to 2016. He and his K-9 partner Midge died on the same day in 2021.