Attorney for Varinecz family: Teen polite, kind
Alternative content
Attorney for Varinecz family says teen was
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.?Published: October 21, 2009
Updated: October 22, 2009
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.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
YES WE DO. THAT IS RIGHT. WE ALL HAVE RIGHTS.
Which is why every human being has the right to self defense. It does not matter if the person is a problem child, criminal, mentally challenged subject, person of authority, preacher, nun, or anything else. We all still have the right to self defense. Might I also say that it is not my job to control or regulate those that would threaten my life for whatever reason. I am not against people or groups that are working to create effective ways of helping to keep all these troubled or mentally deficient people out of trouble. When these groups are successful at controlling these out of control or possible volatile individuals then it only makes life better and safer for the rest of society, so keep up the good work, but in the mean time try not to expect too much from those of us that put our lives first and are willing to defend ourselves. If you play with fire then you will get burned.
Thank you again, MSVICKIE
I’m not shocked from the ignorance of some people. We all have RIGHTS!! of at least we are SUPPOSED TO!!!
SOME OF YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THE DISABILITY ACT. EVERY CHILD IS ENTITLED TO AN EDUCATION IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE WAY. ALLOWANCES ARE MADE FOR ALL DISABILITIES. SOME PEOPLE JUST CAN NOT UNDERSTAND MENTAL DISABILITIES. YOU MAKE LIFE HARD FOR THOSE THAT HAVE THEM. EDUCATE YOURSELF.
ridiculous for it to be done but its true & eventually it’ll be the way reddog described b/c HCSD made a choice of having an SRO in school for “protection” as they call it! HCSD already has WMHC involved for the “mental health”, “shadows” to follow certain students w/ anger and I’ve already stated HCSD,HCPD, DSS,government, politics, etc will do what they want, to who they want, when they want too!
livinginmb. Read Reddog’s post on the 22nd at 7:11 am. It was said in jest, but there is a message there for YOU.
1+1= 2 (correct) nightshift:I thought were allowed Freedom of Speech and/or opinions/comments..oh,depending on when or who you say it too!Their are some GREAT HCPD, and some are “I’M A POLICE”, so to speak & shouldn’t be but LOVE LOVE LOVE the authority! scarecrow457: no apology, maybe gift card to Dunkin Donuts, got to keep them all in shape! 1pilady: define..choices, freedom,gay,black, white, hispanic, homosexual, religion,spanish,humans,and the list goes on! I don’t know if you have children(nor do I care)I pray if so they are ALL PERFECT & ALL HEALTHY. As for your no one should sue…Who the heck said sue? I must have read it wrong b/c I believe he stated “the family is still grieving and searching for answers as to what led to the death”. Define “lawyer”? Are they needed in this world? Yes!Are your children in school? Do you know what “no child left behind” stands for? I’m sad for both families, more so to Trevor’s family. As for the others: This can be looked at in so many directions: First of all, Do you think he could have found the knives outside & wanted to rush them to SRO, being Aspergers(not a Dr)possibly he thought the SRO would’ve said they were his & didn’t want to be accused since he now had the knives…Could he have thought the SRO automatically knows (without really knowing)that some students were taking his lunch & turning over his book bag and with Trevor “assuming” this became upset? Do you think cops/teachers are so perfect they never commit sexual crimes with students? or pick on certain students? I could stay all night! Further more & yes, Blame HCSD too!Many of them are JOB SECURITY “CONTRACTS” Dang, people!
Let me start out by saying that this is a horrible series of events and I feel for both the family of the student and the SRO.
IMHO the student was very much in the wrong for bringing knives to school. That said, if you were the SRO, and someone had stabbed you multiple times in a closed office, what would you do?
The answer would be….you don’t know. And you would not know until you were in that predicament.
No one deserved to die, and I honestly do not feel that it was the intent of the SRO to do that, it is unfortunate that this was the outcome.
It is sad too, that it come to the point that we have to even have SRO’s in the schools today. Being married to a teacher, I hear almost daily about a fight being broken up, about drug deals taking place, or someone stealing, or kids having sex in school, and the list goes on and on. It happens in EVERY school…no matter what the income level of the residents.
I am grateful that my kids have graduated ...and I pray for the kids that are in school now.
The family hired the lawyer to help them get answers. Nothing wrong with that. I would do the same.
The parents knew that their child was exceptional and choose to put him in public schools, so he should have been treated like all the kids. Why special treatment? The resource Officer did his job. He protected the other children and faculty at that school. Do you not realize that he is also going through trauma after having to shoot this kid. Pray for both families and quit being so negative. It was a bad situation. The problem that needs to be dealt with is how did the boy get a knife into school.No one should have the right to sue anyone.
Way to go Reddog. We needed that!
Advertisement