SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — An 18-year-old man died after a shooting at Shaker Heights Public Library on Tuesday afternoon.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner has identified the victim as Charles Shanklin.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested and charged with murder, felonious assault, and carrying a concealed weapon in connection to the shooting, according to the City of Shaker Heights. The boy tried to run from the scene but was later found at the intersection of Ashby and Milverton Roads in Shaker Heights.
Shaker Heights Police Chief Wayne Hudson could not confirm what led up to or caused the deadly shooting.
Hudson said it all started around 4:40 p.m., when police received a call that a man was shot at the Main Branch of the Shaker Heights Library.
Hudson said officers responded in a matter of minutes and found Shanklin shot. He was later taken to University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.
Hudson said there aren’t any other suspects.
“We are going to work as fast as we can as diligently as we can, but the overall safety of our community is our top priority,” said Hudson.
Everyone has been reunited with their families, but some say they're still shaken after taking cover during the frightening situation.
“I grabbed my daughter and ran to the bathroom where everyone was running, and I fell, and I braced her up under me (and) I got back up and we ran to the bathroom with the other eight people that was in there with us,” said Antwaun Teasley.
Others, like Donald King, told News 5 he and his wife of 67 years stayed safe by locking themselves in a room and turning off the lights until police arrived.
“I’m thinking that they should do something about these young folks hanging around here all the time, making it unsafe for people. People don’t want to come here,” said King.
When we spoke to Hudson about King’s concerns, he said his officers are making their presence known at Shaker Heights Public Library.
But he agrees with King and others and said it’s disheartening that a shooting happened at a place that he believes should be for studying, working, reading, and even relaxing.
“It’s just a shame that an incident like this had to happen in the community, but especially inside the library,” said Hudson.
On Wednesday, the library sent the following statement regarding the shooting:
For many people in our Shaker community, the library is their safe place. It is a space to find belonging and support.
We are devastated by yesterday’s gun violence at Main Library, which ended in the loss of life for one patron. We are heartbroken for the victim, Charles Lee Shanklin, his family, and the other library users who experienced what no one should in their safe space.
We’re grateful for the quick action of our staff, the Shaker Heights Police and Fire Departments, especially the paramedics, and other first responders, and we’re grateful to the community for their outpouring of support.
We know many of you have questions about library safety and security moving forward, and we want to assure you that we are working through options with our board and community partners. The security of staff and customers is our greatest priority.
Those who left their belongings in the building will be able to reclaim them from the Stephanie Tubbs Jones building today, April 2, between 4 and 6:30 p.m. Materials not collected this evening will be available at the library when it re-opens Saturday.
Both Shaker Library branches will remain closed through Friday, April 4. Before we reopen, we will debrief with staff and allow them time to process with the help of grief counselors. Plans for a community debriefing are in the works, and we will release those details when they are confirmed.
As the investigation continues, the library remains closed until further notice, and Shaker Heights High School has canceled classes on Wednesday.
On Wednesday afternoon, the school said it would reopen on Thursday.
The school sent the following letter to families Tuesday evening:
Dear Shaker Heights Schools Families and High School Students,
As you are aware, a shooting took place earlier today at the Shaker Heights Main Library involving past and present Shaker Heights students. In light of this incident, there will be no classes at Shaker Heights High School and the Innovative Center for Personalized Learning on Wednesday, April 2. Students in CTE programs are not expected to report to their off campus sites. All other school buildings will remain open.
Counselors are available at each of our school buildings to support students, staff, and families during this difficult time. High School students may also visit the High School to meet with a counselor between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m and High School students and families may call 216-295-4200 for support.
Shaker Heights Councilwoman Tenille Kaus posted the following statement to social media regarding the shooting:
Yesterday, politics became personal. My daughter was inside Shaker Library during an active shooting event. My prayers and my future actions are with the families and friends of the victim, the shooter, the library workers, our first responders, and all those at the library during the shooting.
If you know me, you know I strongly support common-sense gun laws. My call to action is renewed. Out of respect for my daughter, I will not go into details as she and I go through this difficult time. However, I want to thank our first responders and cities who provided mutual aid, my friends and co-workers, who reached out to me, and my daughter's tutor, who I believe would have given her life for my daughter even though it was their first session together, and countless others whom I am forgetting.
When I moved to Shaker, one of the first places we went was to the library. The library is the heart and soul of a community. It's one of the few free places that still exist in society. When I interviewed for the Shaker Library Board I proudly served on, I said, “I find myself most in the library.”
While we are shaken, our love and passion remain for our Shaker Library. On several jobs and on several boards I have served on, I have advocated and enacted a safe leave policy. This policy gives victims of violence and their immediate family members a set amount of paid days off if they experience a violent situation. I took the day off today to be with my daughter. I needed it. She needed it. Safe Leave policies are needed. My resolve to enact policies that make a positive impact continues because thoughts and prayers are no longer enough to combat gun violence.
