Teen falls through roof of high school gym during wrestling tournament

Chad Shanks, 19, falls 40 feet at Buchholz High School

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 19-year-old man is recovering from serious injuries after deputies say he fell through a high school gymnasium skylight in Gainesville.

Friends say Chad Shanks fell 40 feet at Buchholz High School Friday night. 

Investigators say he was part of a group that trespassed onto school grounds. At one point, a cellphone was tossed onto the roof of the gymnasium. 

Deputies say when Shanks went to retrieve the phone, he fell through a skylight and onto the gym floor. 

A mother who was inside the gym at the time recording her son's wrestling tournament captured the fall on her cellphone. 

Investigators say Shanks will be charged with trespassing once he is released from the hospital. 

Six other teens who were with Shanks at the time have already been charged with second-degree misdemeanor trespassing on school grounds. 

 


About the Author

Cathleigh is a newscast producer and has been with News 6 since 2014. She graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in communications, with a focus in broadcast journalism. Cathleigh produces the 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. newscasts.

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