National 'teen killer' expert educates Lowellville students

Staff report

LOWELLVILLE

Phil Chalmers, a juvenile-homicide and juvenile-mass-murder expert from Cleveland, spoke to Lowellville students Monday about his experience interviewing teen killers, school shooters, murderers and sexual predators.

Chalmers travels to talk to law-enforcement officials, social workers and students. With students, he said he focuses on substance abuse, bullying, crime prevention, Internet safety, drunken driving and sexting, to name a few topics. He said his interest in becoming an expert on homicide and sexual predators stems from “a passion for kids.”

Chalmers said he had a rough upbringing in downtown Cleveland where he frequently would see or hear of robberies. He said that experience from his childhood made him want to research what turns kids toward violence, to try to educate people on teen killers.

“Keeping kids safe is the biggest thing for me,” he said.

Stacy Karis, school resource officer, said she heard Chalmers speak in front of students in Campbell last year. She said she immediately “loved it” and decided to invite Chalmers to speak at Lowellville.

Karis said she and two Lowellville guidance counselors applied for a grant with the Lowellville School Foundation to get the money to put on the assembly.

Several Lowellville students said their “eyes were opened” during Chalmers’ presentation Monday. Starr Klenotic, 18, of Lowellville said his presentation made her want to act more if she ever notices students getting bullied.

“I’m not going to be as oblivious to what’s going on around me,” she said. “I might be a senior, but I hope they bring him back next year for other students.”