Vigil Draws Hundreds as Rocky Hill Mourns the Death of Shawn Charles

When Shawn Charles walked down the halls of , it was hard not to notice him coming. His bright smile captivated everyone he passed, and friends said he wouldn’t go more than a few steps without pausing to say hello or shake hands with someone else he knew.

An avid fan of cars who spent countless hours working on his own Honda Civic and Acura Integra, the 2012 RHHS graduate died Tuesday from injuries suffered doing what he loved the most – working on his car.

“It’s so hard to believe he’s gone and to know how he died,” said Chris Conte, who stood by Charles' bedside at Hartford Hospital, holding his hand just before he was pronounced dead. “He loved cars, he knew what he was doing. He shouldn’t have died like this.”

Charles, 18, was seriously injured Monday afternoon while working on his Integra in a friend’s garage along Westmeadow Road in Rocky Hill. Multiple friends confirmed Tuesday evening that two car jacks holding the Integra gave way while he was underneath the car, causing the modified vehicle that sat low the ground to fall, crushing him and causing significant injuries that eventually led to his death.

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The news , but friends and family came together at the high school Tuesday night to show their support for his family and honor a teenager that they said had countless friends and not a single enemy.

Nearly 500 classmates, teachers, neighbors and others from the community joined together in a candlelight vigil led by the students.

The touching ceremony included prayers for Charles and his family and showed a unity that many said he helped establish in the community.

“There was no one like him; no one who could have touched as many lives as he did,” said Jermaine Osei-Tut, a friend of Charles and 2011 RHHS graduate. “If you ever met him, you’d know there was something special; he just had a glow about him. If he came around when you were sad, he’d find a way to just make you smile. You couldn’t be around him and feel unhappy."

There weren’t too many activities that didn’t interest Charles. The teen would hang around the basketball courts, could be found skateboarding with friends and even dabbled in freestyle raps with his closest friends.

But his real passion was working on cars, an interest that led him to make sure he got his license as soon as he could, Conte said.

Greg Petropoulos, a classmate and close friend who helped organize Tuesday’s vigil, said he still remembers when Charles first got his Honda Civic during their junior year. The two were sitting in class during a brief break when he pointed out the window toward his newest prized possession.

“He couldn’t wait to show it off,” Petropoulos said. “It was the middle of the day and he couldn’t stop smiling as he pointed it out. Working on cars was his true passion and once he was introduced to it, it was all that he wanted to do.”

There was more to Charles than just his love for cars, however. Gerry and Pauline Dumond, grandparents of one of Charles’ best friends Jason Sikes, said he would volunteer his time helping with yard work and would make sure to stop and say hello when he saw them.

“He was really a sweetheart of a kid,” said Pauline Dumond, tears coming to her eyes as she spoke of her grandson’s best friend. “Every time he came over, he would make sure he found me and had to give me a big hug and a kiss. They say only the good die young. He really was a good kid.”

Many friends attempted to hold back tears during Tuesday’s vigil, but friends LeRoy Young, Marquis Santiago, Will Medina and Najee Kheng encouraged the community to remember the good times and to help Charles’ spirit live on.

The four shared memories with the crowd – many of whom helped raise more than $2,000 for the Charles family in under 24 hours after finding out about Monday’s accident – and led everyone in a group-wide shout of “we love you Shawn!”

Before ending the vigil, those in attendance came together in a circle, saying one last prayer with the candles burning bright around the high school flag, which was lowered to half-staff. Together, they blew out their candles in memory of their fallen friend.

“He was our brother and he will never be forgotten,” Young said.

Rocky Hill High School will hold counseling sessions for anyone seeking a place to grieve, share memories and cope with the loss throughout the rest of the week. The sessions will be held at the high school, 50 Chapin Road, each day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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