This story has been updated April 2 at 6:45 a.m. with information about the victim’s status. 

A fatal shooting involving a current and a former SHHS student occurred around 4:30 p.m. yesterday in the Shaker Heights Main Library. 

The victim, a former SHHS student, was transported to University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and treated with extreme life saving measures, according to Shaker Heights police. News 5 Cleveland reported shortly after 5 a.m. that 18-year-old Charles Shanklin died. 

A current student was taken into custody. The police have no additional suspects, according to published reports. The SHPD did not return a call requesting comment.

The shooting comes a little over five weeks after the high school implemented weapons detection for all students. The public library does not employ a weapon-detection system. Scott Stephens, executive director for communications and engagement, could not confirm whether the current student had been present at school yesterday before the shooting or whether he had been screened. The system was adopted to expedite bag searches and manual screenings that former Principal Eric Juli instituted in September after three weapons incidents occurred at the high school within one week. 

Stephens said district staff and students were at the library at the time of the shooting. “Regrettably, a lot of our students were there, and we had staff there as well,” Stephens said. “We have our Welcome Center there, our Registrar’s Office and our Family and Community Engagement Office there and on the second floor of the library, so they were having a meeting when the shooting occurred and were obviously shaken up.”

Shortly after the shooting, Interim Principal Isaiah Wyatt initiated a reverse evacuation using the Navigate 360 emergency app. The women’s lacrosse and baseball season openers and tennis matches were paused, and athletes and spectators were told to shelter in place. All events were subsequently cancelled after the shelter-in-place order was lifted.

Senior Leo Brinkley, a tennis player, was at the match when the shooting happened. “We were rushed off the courts and told to wait in our cars before we were told that the courts were safe to enter again. Ten minutes later, we were told to leave the courts again and go home,” Brinkley said. “We were told that there was an active shooter in the area and that we should wait in our cars until further notice.”

In an email sent to staff at 8 p.m., Wyatt announced that classes at the high school and IC will be cancelled tomorrow. An email from Superintendent David Glasner was sent to students and parents at 8:08 p.m. announcing the same. Faculty and staff will report, however.

The Board of Education meeting scheduled to occur at the high school at 6 p.m. yesterday was also cancelled.

Both Shaker Heights Public Libraries will be closed today.

Stephens said disruption to school should not extend beyond today. He said, “Expect things to resume as normal on Thursday.”

This is a developing story. 

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