The attorney representing the Varinecz family of Myrtle Beach says the 16-year-old recently shot to death by a school resource officer is remembered as a “polite, kind soul.”
Jeff Chandler, with Chandler Law Firm, said he did not have a relationship with the family prior to Friday’s incident at Carolina Forest High School.
That’s when police and education leaders say Trevor Varinecz went into the office of school resource officer, Marcus Rhodes. A Horry County police report states Varinecz had two knives with him and attacked Rhodes, leaving “several puncture marks” on his shirt. Police say Rhodes shot Varinecz five times in self-defense.
But Chandler told News13 he has heard contradictory information concerning the statement that Varinecz had two knives with him, and there is no way to determine that since the SC Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has not released an official report.
The attorney requested an itemized list of items taken from the Varinecz home the day SLED agents searched it for evidence. He also requested video and audio surveillance from the school of the incident.
The Varinecz family told Chandler that Trevor was in “bright spirits” when he left for school Friday morning and there was nothing on his mind that the family was aware of. They told the attorney everything that happened after he got off the school is “a mystery.”
Chandler said despite dealing with Asperger’s Syndrome, Varinecz had made improvements in dealing with his disability and immersed himself in school work.
Based on his conversations with the family, Chandler described Varinecz as a “history buff” and not a disciplinary problem. He said by all accounts, he was a superior student who had great grades. The parents said he was a “respectful, polite, kind soul who gave them no problems.”
Inside the room at Varinecz’s memorial service at Goldfinch Funeral Home on Wednesday, Chander said there are many students, teachers, and neighbors who were shocked to hear what happened to the teen. Some teachers who taught Varinecz told Chandler that Varinecz “would be the last person they expect this to happen to.”
Chandler told News13 that Trevor Varinecz is the youngest child of loving parents, and that filing a lawsuit at this time would be premature. He did acknowledge that the family is still grieving and searching for answers as to what led to the death of their 16-year-old son on Friday, Oct. 16.
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