Chism, who had moved to the Boston suburb of Danvers before the start of the school year, remained jailed without bond Thursday. A grand jury will play a big part in deciding his next step: If they indict him for first- or second-degree murder, he -- like any juvenile age 14 or older -- would be tried as an adult, based on Massachusetts law.
Meanwhile, the tight-knit North Shore community is still trying to make sense of what he allegedly did and of life without a teacher who so many appreciated, learned from and loved.
"It's just surreal how quickly someone can go, and how much we take for granted every day," said Danvers High student Chris Weimert. "(Ritzer was) the nicest teacher you could ever have. I can't believe it."