Ohio students commemorate classmates slain by teen

The march by Chardon High School students, walking arm-in-arm in the damp cold from the school to the town square, was an emotional highlight during the day's commemoration.

Photos of the three slain students were displayed, onlookers applauded marchers and firefighters hung a large American flag from an aerial ladder.

The march ended at the courthouse where the shooter, T.J. Lane, 18, had pleaded guilty Tuesday to all charges. Lane could face life in prison at his sentencing March 19.

The observance honored Daniel Parmertor and Demetrius Hewlin, both 16, and Russell King Jr., 17, who were killed in the Feb. 27, 2012, rampage. Three others were injured.

Students arriving for classes passed an outdoor school sign with the names of the victims and the message: "2-27 A Day of Remembrance." Across the street, a heart-shaped sign in the school colors of red and black had the message: "One Heartbeat."

The slain students' relatives on Wednesday sued Lane and his family, seeking damages and alleging negligent supervision by his parents and grandparents. Attorneys who filed the case said the families want to ensure Lane never profits from his crimes.

"Hopefully this lawsuit will help answer a lot of questions that still remain and help bring closure for the families and the community," attorneys Peter Marmaros and W. Craig Bashein said.

In Columbus, the Ohio House observed a moment of silence. Rep. John Patterson, who represents Chardon, said he planned to introduce a bill to designate highways in the names of the three victims.

Patterson told his colleagues that they couldn't control tragedies or fully prevent them. And the Jefferson Democrat encouraged parents to tell their children they love them.

The anniversary of the student deaths marks another year of mass shootings around the country — 12 people gunned down at a Colorado movie theater; six killed at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin; and 26 Connecticut first-graders and educators slain in Newtown during the Christmas season.

The march in Chardon rekindled memories of the walk taken along the same route by grieving students as they returned to classes three days after the shooting.

A senior student leader, Jessica Mysyk, said the past year has been a time of emotional healing.

"It was hard to even imagine setting foot back into the building where such a tragedy occurred," she told classmates gathered in the square.

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