Joshua Jerone Josh Palacios-Thomas was a 15-year-old sophomore at Bethel Regional High School when he was shot on the morning of February 19, 1997. A 16-year-old classmate, Evan Ramsey, arrived with a 12-gauge shotgun, fired into the student commons and struck Joshua in the abdomen. Two other students were wounded by the blast. Joshua was flown out for emergency surgery but died later that evening from his injuries.

Ramsey went on to fatally shoot Principal Ron Edwards before exchanging fire with police and surrendering; he was arrested at the scene and later tried in adult court. Prosecutors charged others after investigators found that more than a dozen students knew of Ramsey’s plan; court records show at least one juvenile, identified only as J.R., taught Ramsey to use the shotgun and urged him to carry out the attack, though an appeals court later reversed J.R.’s convictions.

Bethel still marks February 19 as a day that reshaped the community. If anyone knew Joshua, his friends, or saw what happened that morning, please come forward with information.