The Shaker Heights Public Library is working to regain a sense of normalcy after a fatal shooting there last week. Patrons will now notice a larger police presence, said Amy Switzer, the library's director.
"We want to make sure we strike the right balance that we are safe, but that we are just as warm and welcoming for all of our customers of all ages, including all of our teens,” Switzer told Ideastream Monday.
On April 1, an 18-year-old Charles Lee Shanklin was shot at the main library located near the intersection of Van Aken Boulevard and Lee Road and later died at the hospital, according to Shaker Heights police.
The library closed for the rest of the week but reopened Saturday, Switzer said, adding the community has stepped up.
“It has been amazing,” Switzer said. “It has been a really rough week for our community and for our staff. And to have our community show up for us like this, it just means everything to us. We've had folks who have brought us coffee and donuts and hot chocolate and flowers and cards and notes. And [some people] just stop by to tell us how important the library is to them and how much they care about the library staff.”
On the question of safety, Switzer said the increased police presence will continue. Conservations will also continue, she said, on the best way to keep the library secure.
“It's going to take some time and some thought to figure out what is the right solution for this library and this community,” Switzer said.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office charged a 15-year-old Shaker Heights resident with murder, felonious assault, and carrying a concealed weapon in connection with the shooting, according to Shaker Heights Police Chief Wayne Hudson.
