Fourteen-year-old Mason Schermerhorn was one of four victims killed in a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Moments before his death, Mason, who was autistic, texted his mother from a restroom, saying he was safe.
Youth minister Ronald Clark, who rushed to the scene, helped Mason’s mother search for him. She believed he was okay until Clark confirmed the tragic news: Mason was among the dead. Clark described the heartbreak of delivering the news and remembered Mason as a joyful, kind boy who didn’t let autism define him.