HINCKLEY, Ohio — The Hinckley community is mourning the loss of a 13-year-old boy who died in an apparent accidental shooting Saturday.
The victim, who was a student at Highland Middle School, died at the hospital after officers were called to a home on River Road around 8:30 p.m.
After learning of the student’s death, Highland Middle School officials sent parents the following letter around 7:15 p.m. Sunday (NOTE: We've removed the student's name from the letter):
Dear Highland Parents,
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of one of our Highland students, (name removed), an 8th grader at Highland Middle School. The Hinckley Police Department reported late Saturday night that (name removed) was involved in a gun-related accident and has since passed away. Their preliminary investigation indicates that this was a tragic accident.
In a district of our size, we understand that rumors may begin to circulate, but we are requesting that any additional speculation or narrative not be spread out of respect for the (name removed) family.
(Name removed) was a good student, an athlete and had many friends. His mom (name removed) is an active volunteer at HMS and past volunteer at Hinckley Elementary School. His older brother (name removed) graduated from Highland last year.
Crisis counselors will be at Highland Middle School on Monday morning, and over the next several days, to help any grieving students and staff process this heartbreaking information. We will continue to assess the need for further support services to our students.
Expressions of grief can manifest in several ways. Please be aware if your child exhibits any of the following:
- Anxiety
- Appetite changes
- Fatigue
- Forgetfulness
- Frustration
- Irritability
- Lashing out
- Mood swings
- Nightmares
- Troubles concentrating
- Upset stomach
- Withdrawn
If you feel that your child would benefit from talking with our counselors or school psychologists, please contact your child's school office.
There really are no words of comfort for this type of loss. We ask that you pray for (names removed) and his entire family.
