The 17-year-old was fatally shot in Cleveland, and the district canceled Tuesday classes while making counseling available to students and staff.
SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH — Shaker Heights High School and Shaker Heights Middle School were closed to students Tuesday after a 17-year-old high school student was fatally shot in Cleveland, a death the school district initially described as an “act of violence.”
The student was identified Tuesday as Jaiden Tunson by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner, according to local news reports citing authorities. Cleveland police said Tunson was found Monday, Oct. 26, near South Moreland Boulevard and Buckeye Road after officers patrolling the area heard gunfire. Homicide detectives are investigating, and police had not publicly identified a suspect in the reports reviewed.
Cleveland police said officers were patrolling near East 130th Street and Buckeye Road when they heard gunshots and began checking the surrounding area. They found the teenager with an apparent gunshot wound near South Moreland Boulevard. Officers provided emergency aid, but Tunson died from his injuries. Cleveland EMS pronounced him dead at the scene, according to police accounts reported by local media.
The Shaker Heights City School District announced the student’s death Monday night without initially releasing his identity or details about what happened. The district said it was devastated by the loss and asked that the student’s family be given privacy. Officials canceled classes Tuesday at both the high school and middle school as the school community responded to the death.
Students were not required to attend classes Tuesday, but the district made counselors available at the two school buildings from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students enrolled in career and technical education programs also were not expected to report to their off-campus sites. High school and middle school employees were told to report to their buildings as scheduled, according to the district’s message reported by News 5 Cleveland.
Other Shaker Heights school buildings and district offices remained open Tuesday. The closure was limited to the high school and middle school, where officials focused on providing support following the student’s death. The district did not disclose additional circumstances surrounding the violence in its initial announcement.
The shooting happened in Cleveland rather than on a Shaker Heights school campus. Police accounts said officers came upon the scene while conducting patrols and hearing nearby gunfire. The available reports did not identify a suspected shooter or describe what investigators believe led to the shooting.
Cleveland homicide detectives were continuing to investigate the death. Authorities had not announced an arrest, criminal charges or a motive in the information reviewed. The school district’s announced closure covered Tuesday, Oct. 27, and no extension of that closure was confirmed in the sources reviewed.
Author note: Last updated October 28, 2026.