Florida elementary student's mother shot dead by ex during online class, teacher looks on and mutes video
MARTIN COUNTY, FLORIDA: A Florida elementary student had the most horrifying first day at school when her mother was shot to death while the former was attending a class online. The 10-year-old student's reaction to her mother getting shot at class was witnessed by her teacher at Warfield Elementary as the session was being conducted over Zoom in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The slain Maribel Rosado-Morales' (32) former boyfriend Donald J Williams (27) has been arrested on August 11, Tuesday as a suspect in the murder, BuzzFeed News reported. According to the report, Williams arrived at the residence around 8 am. There were reportedly six children inside the home at the time — Rosado-Morales' four children and two of their cousins
"One of the children, the 10-year-old, is online, getting ready to start the day — it's early, you know, 8 o'clock," Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said during a press conference. Williams reportedly gave a full confession to the crimes and is facing a first-degree murder charge, Snyder added, before recounting the teacher's statement.
"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," Snyder revealed. "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.
Investigators believe an argument ensued between Willaims and Rosado-Morales. "He went in and confronted her with something to do with a video," the sheriff said. "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." Snyder noted the public could be "horrified" by the incident. "I've learned through decades of doing this that when you think you've seen everything, you haven't," he said, per BuzzFeed News. "I know that people hearing about this, reading about this, are going to be horrified by this."
Meanwhile, neighbors have deemed the incident "tragic and senseless." “I think it's horrible," neighbor Linda Morris said. "It’s absolutely horrible that someone would be found dead like this, a shooting especially in Indiantown, it’s usually quiet here."
“I think it’s sad, especially the neighborhood. I knew the woman. She was a very nice girl, gave my kids clothes and stuff like that," neighbor Jeremy Carroll said of Rosado-Morales. "Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family and children who were witnesses to this heartbreaking and senseless tragedy," a spokesperson for Martin County School District said, adding that grief counselors will be arranged for students as well as staff.
"The incident is still under active investigation by law enforcement, and we will continue to respect the privacy of the teacher and our students," the district added.