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An elementary student in Florida attended a Zoom class for her first day of school on Tuesday. Sadly, as her teacher watched, the child’s mother was shot and killed during the class.
It was a 10-year-old girl’s first day of online school at the Warfield Elementary school in Florida. Many schools have turned to online classes due to the coronavirus outbreak. As the class proceeded, the girl’s mother was shot and killed as the teacher watched.
The shooting happened on Tuesday at the child’s home in Indiantown, located about 30 miles southwest of Port St. Lucie. It happened shortly after 8 am. The suspect, Donald J. Williams, was taken into custody and faces charges of first-degree murder. Not only that, but he also faces other felony offenses, says Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.
Six children were present in the home at the time of the shooting. The sheriff says he thinks most of the children witnessed the shooting.
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Snyder spoke at a news conference on Tuesday where he said the girl’s teacher witnessed the child reacting to the shooting.
“The teacher’s online — I’ve never done a Zoom with children, so I’m picturing there’s other children on — and the teacher can see the children. The teacher said she heard a commotion, heard profanity,” said Snyder. “Realized there was some type of domestic altercation. Still could see the child that’s online. The teacher said she mutes her button so nobody has to hear it and then she sees the 10-year-old put her hands up to her ears.”
“Almost immediately after the child put her hands up to her ears, the computer screen went blank. We know the computer was hit with a projectile,” he added.
A spokesperson for the school district said, “Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family and children who were witnesses to this heartbreaking and senseless tragedy.”
The school will provide grief counselors for the staff and students who need them.
“The incident is still under active investigation by law enforcement, and we will continue to respect the privacy of the teacher and our students,” said the district.
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Investigators believe that the shooting happened as the result of an argument between the girl’s mother, Maribel Rosado-Morales, and Williams. They had previously dated.
“He went in and confronted her with something to do with a video,” said the sheriff. “And then later we learned there was a conversation about Facebook. He said she actually started to smile at him and he became enraged and shot her.”
Unfortunately, domestic violence is something that children, including those in online kindergarten, might witness more often during the ongoing pandemic.
