By Gongwer Staff
Posted: February 27, 2013 1:53 PM

Legislation Honors Chardon School Shooting Victims

Rep. Patterson introduces road naming bill to memorialize students

COLUMBUS –State Representative John Patterson (D-Jefferson) introduced legislation today that would designate three memorial highways for the Chardon High School students who were killed in last year’s school shooting.

“Today we pause to remember Demetrius, Russell, and Daniel, who lost their lives that day,” said Rep. Patterson in a speech on the House floor. “To honor their memory, I am introducing legislation today that will designate three highways in their name. While we honor these cherished lives that were lost, let us also remember Joy, Nick, and Nate who were wounded that day. And finally, difficult, though it might be, let us also remember TJ. All of these vibrant, young adults had their future ahead of them on that day. And now their dreams, and our dreams for them, have been irreversibly altered.”

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Chardon High School shooting, in which Demetrius C. Hewlin, Russell King, Jr., and Daniel Parmertor were killed.

“As a former teacher and coach, I have grieved and mourned with students and their parents when death, in its darkest forms, steals our youth,” Rep. Patterson continued. “As a parent, I can only imagine the pain that occurs when our deepest fears, as parents, are realized when we lose a child. In a perfect world, no parents would bury their young child—and yet we know this happens far too frequently for we live not in a perfect world.”

Rep. Patterson’s legislation, if passed, will designate three highways in the Chardon area. The portions of road that will be memorialized are State Route 44, State Route 6, Claridon Road and Aquilla Road.