Beachwood Schools Respond to Chardon Shooting

 sent a note to parents about the Chardon High School shooting that occured this morning.

Details about the shooting are still murky, but the latest information from WKYC News reports that four students were injured in the incident and that one gunman is in custody.

"While no district can fully prepare for such unthinkable acts, please know that Beachwood Schools is as prepared as possible," wrote Superintendent Rich Markwardt in his email to parents.

He added, "Students in all of our schools practiced lockdown drills earlier this school year under the guidance of the Beachwood Police, and our administrators and crisis management team regularly review our security and emergency procedures."

In a note to  students and staff, Principal Bob Hardis reminded them that the best defense against this type of violence is early detection – he asked that anyone who is concerned about their safety to alert staff.

“As we keep the victims from Chardon in our thoughts and prayers, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns spurred by today's awful events,” he wrote.

Read the full text of Markwardt's note below, and watch full coverage of the #ChardonShoooting on Twitter and at WKYC's website.

Dear Parents,

We continue to follow the shooting incident at Chardon High School this morning and pray for the injured students.

As a precaution, Beachwood Police maintained a low profile at Beachwood High School, Beachwood Middle School and our elementary buildings as students arrived this morning.

While no district can fully prepare for such unthinkable acts, please know that Beachwood Schools is as prepared as possible. Students in all of our schools practiced lockdown drills earlier this school year under the guidance of the Beachwood Police, and our administrators and crisis management team regularly review our security and emergency procedures. We have multiple media to communicate effectively and quickly with parents and the community, including reverse-911, text alerts, email, social media, our web site, and local news media.

Our procedures are reviewed and updated continually in keeping with law enforcement's best practices for handling these types of situations.

Meanwhile, please keep the students and families in Chardon in your thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Dr. Richard A. Markwardt, Superintendent
Beachwood City School District