Authorities said there was no active threat after the Monday afternoon incident at Valley Forge High School in Parma Heights.
PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio — An 18-year-old student died Monday after a self-inflicted shooting in the cafeteria at Valley Forge High School, prompting a large police and fire response, an evacuation of students and a two-day closure for the district’s two high schools.
The death shook the Parma City School District late in the school day and set off an investigation led by Parma Heights police. Officials said the incident involved one student and one gunshot, and they said there was no continuing danger to students or staff. The district moved students to a reunification site at Cuyahoga Community College and later announced grief counseling, shuttle service for families and changes to this week’s testing schedule.
Police and school officials said the emergency began shortly after 2:10 p.m. at the high school, 9999 Independence Blvd. Parma Police Public Information Officer Scott Traxler said officers and fire crews responded within minutes after reports of a shooting inside the cafeteria. Officers found the student, and firefighters and paramedics began treatment at the scene before she was taken to a nearby hospital. The student later died there. By late Monday, the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner had identified her as 18-year-old Marissa R. Rand. School officials said the building was secured quickly and that staff followed emergency procedures as students were led out and sent to the district’s reunification point at Tri-C.
The official account remained limited Monday night as investigators worked to piece together what happened before the gunshot. Authorities said the case involved a single student and said no one else was physically injured. Police did not publicly describe how the firearm entered the building or say whether the student had been under supervision immediately before the shooting. In a statement issued during the response, the district said the situation was contained and that student safety remained its top priority. News reports from the scene showed a heavy response outside the school, with police vehicles, fire units and parents gathering as students were brought out. Officials said reunification planning was activated as part of the district’s existing safety protocols.
The district’s next steps focused on stabilizing the school community. Superintendent Scott J. Hunt and Assistant Superintendent Amy Cruse told families that Valley Forge High School and Normandy High School would be closed Tuesday, April 21, and Wednesday, April 22, to allow time for grieving and support services. Counselors and crisis teams were scheduled to meet with students, families and staff at Normandy on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with shuttle transportation leaving Valley Forge at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. and return trips at 11 a.m. and noon. On Wednesday, support teams were set to work from Valley Forge’s media center during the same hours. The district said regular classes at both high schools were expected to resume Thursday, April 23.
The school system also adjusted academic plans for the rest of the week. District officials said U.S. History and Government testing would be pushed to Friday, April 24, and would run from 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at both high schools. Students taking those exams would remain in testing rooms until the session ended, and there would be no classes afterward that day. Counselors were expected to stay on site at Valley Forge through the return to classes. The district thanked first responders from Parma and Parma Heights, along with partners at Cuyahoga Community College, for what Hunt and Cruse described as a swift and coordinated response. Officials did not announce any separate public briefing Monday night, and police had not yet outlined possible findings on how the weapon reached campus.
The scene left parents and students scrambling for information in the final hour of the school day. News 5 reported that some students who had already left campus began receiving frantic messages from classmates about officers rushing into the building. One parent at the school for pickup described hearing repeated warnings that there was a gun inside as students and teachers ran out. Those accounts matched the visible urgency outside the building as emergency vehicles ringed the campus and families waited for direction. Even as the district moved quickly to organize reunification and counseling, many details remained unsettled Monday evening, including what investigators may learn from witness interviews, school security footage and the student’s movements before the shooting.
By late Monday, authorities had identified the student and said there was no ongoing threat. The next milestone for families and staff was the start of counseling services Tuesday morning, with both high schools scheduled to reopen Thursday, April 23, under a regular class schedule.
Author note: Last updated April 21, 2026.