Indiana Catholic School Teacher Arrested For Allegedly Creating 'Kill List'
An Indiana Catholic school teacher was arrested Thursday after she was accused of threatening her students and making a “kill list.”
Students at St. Stanislaus School in East Chicago, Indiana, reported Angelica Carrasquillo-Torres to a counselor on Wednesday, alleging that the fifth grade teacher threatened to kill herself, her students and her colleagues at the school, according to NBC Chicago. Carrasquillo-Torres also allegedly told the students about a “kill list” she had.
Carrasquillo-Torres was escorted to the principal’s office after the counselor and two students reported the threats. Police said the teacher admitted to making the comments and confirmed she had a “kill list.” Carrasquillo-Torres didn’t provide the list to the principal, but reportedly named a student who was on it.
The principal told Carrasquillo-Torres to leave the school and not to return pending an investigation. Police were informed of the matter that evening.
“The teacher was removed from the classroom and escorted to the principal’s office, where she remained under supervision and had no further contact with students,” read a Thursday statement on the school’s Facebook page. “The teacher was interviewed to further identify the details of the incident.”
Some parents are upset with how the school went about informing them of the incident. An email was sent out to parents, but didn’t mention threats or a kill list.
“She said that these kids get on her nerves so much that she wanted to kill them,” Quiannis Jones, a parent at the school, told CBS News. “Like, what type of person says that?”
The police obtained an emergency detention order from prosecutors Thursday and arrested the teacher at her home that morning. As of Friday, charges against Carrasquillo-Torres were reportedly still pending.
“The school is working closely with local authorities and the Diocese of Gary’s Schools Office to ensure that St. Stanislaus students continue to have a safe and supportive environment in which they can learn, grow and prosper,” the school wrote in its statement on Facebook.
Police did not clarify if Carrasquillo-Torres was still in custody as of Friday. Parents want to know who was on the “kill list” and why, CBS News reported. The teacher was not listed on the school’s staff directory as of Friday, but it was not clear whether she had been fired from the school.
If you or someone you know needs help, dial 988 or call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also get support via text by visiting suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
