Friends, faculty mourn teen
BUTLER TWP — Ethan Linnon was “bright,” “like sunshine” and “a friend to everyone,” according to the students, parents and teachers who gathered Friday to celebrate his life.
In the week since his death, Linnon's classmates have been rallying to honor his life and to help each other cope with his tragic loss.
Linnon, a Butler High School senior, died early on Oct. 17 on Meridian Road in Penn Township when the Toyota coupe he was driving left the road and struck a tree. He was 18.
The two passengers in the car, Nicole Fry and Hannah Starcher, were injured.
Starcher was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital and later released. Fry was flown by medical helicopter to Allegheny General Hospital. As of Friday afternoon, she was in good condition at the hospital.
Linnon's friends reacted quickly to the tragedy, wanting to do something to honor Linnon, who was known to many as a friendly face at the high school and the leader of the Butler student section for football and other games.
On Friday afternoon mourners gathered outside the high school to release 200 black and gold balloons donated by Smith's The Main Street Florist in Butler.
Dominic Noel, a senior and close friend of Linnon, led the group in a prayer.
“This week has seemed like a never-ending nightmare. It's not fair, and we'll never understand,” he said. “No words can take away the pain, but we take comfort in you and we find strength in each other.
“We thank you for blessing us with the beautiful life of Ethan Linnon. He was the happiest and warmest kid we've ever known.”
Linnon's parents, Brion and Erin Linnon, and other family members were at the school Friday, but declined to be interviewed. His parents attended Friday night's home football game against Fox Chapel and took part in the coin flip before the game.
Mary Schnur, owner of MARK-IM screen printing and embroidery shop in Butler, said her son Zachary was among the students who had the idea to have T-shirts made up with a Batman logo and Linnon's name on the back. Batman was a favorite of Linnon's, and he often was seen wearing a shirt with that logo.Butler football coaches, students in the stands and many fans wore the T-shirts at Friday's game.The shop started making the shirts Oct. 17, selling them for $2 each, the cost of the materials not including labor, Schnur said.Students showed up at school Monday wearing the shirts as well as other superhero shirts.Schnur said Friday that the store had made 2,000 of the shirts and was selling much of its remaining supply before the football game Friday. It also was collecting money to go to the Ethan Linnon foundation which was established at NexTier Bank,Tyler Knass, a Butler senior, said his family made two “We Love Ethan” signs to hold up during the football game.“Monday was rough, everybody had tears in their eyes, but now we're more positive and upbeat” he said.Knass said he and fellow senior Brendan Ackelson planned a “We Love Ethan” cheer to get the student section as loud as possible in honor of him and all the seniors playing in their final home game.That cheer was done repeatedly at the game. Butler band members chanted it as well.“He always had a smile on his face and made everybody laugh,” Ackelson said. “It was hard for everybody, but we rallied around each other and acted as a giant family.”Dustin Carson, a Butler sophomore, was upbeat Friday, saying that he will always remember Linnon for being friendly to him when he was new to the school.“He lived life to the fullest,” Carson said.Latin teacher Jim Kasparek said the tributes organized by the students say a lot about their character.“What a community this is. I'm proud to be a part of it,” he said.Though he didn't have Linnon as a student, Kasparek said nearly everyone at the school was affected by the tragedy.“Everybody knew this kid. He was like sunshine in our school,” he said.Sheri Henderson, one of several parents who helped plan the balloon release tribute, said she was moved by all the support the students and the community had shown throughout the week.“I'm thoroughly in awe at how this community has come together after this terrible tragedy,” Henderson said.A moment of silence was observed before the football game for Linnon and the two injured girls. Several students also released a Chinese lantern.The Butler varsity hockey team also paid tribute to Linnon on Monday night at their game against Canon-McMillan by observing a moment of silence and wearing Batman T-shirts under their jerseys and Batman decals on their helmets, said Mary Schnur, whose son is on the team.Some of the hockey players attended the balloon release Friday even though they were scheduled to play a game against North Allegheny.Mike Ackelson, president of the Butler Hockey Association, got permission from the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League to postpone that game so the players could attend senior night, Schnur said.
