A group of students at a public school in New York’s Upper East Side say they learned about the fatal shooting of their teacher in a video recorded by a student’s cell phone.
On Wednesday, the day of the shooting, a video clip of the teacher’s arrest went viral, prompting a massive online outpouring of support and grief.
But it also raises questions about the efficacy of video recording in schools.
The video shows the teacher sitting in a classroom with her classmates, speaking softly and in English.
She is arrested on suspicion of assault, and police say she shot her students and a teacher before being fatally shot by police.
The incident sparked national outrage, with some students demanding that the district immediately release the video to the public, citing its chilling content.
Many parents and educators said they believe the video was edited to paint the entire class as bad actors.
“I don’t know why we have to go through all of this, because this is the only thing that I can see that’s real and accurate,” said Sara Westover, who was a student in the school’s elementary school for two years before leaving for college.
“We can’t have a teacher being gunned down by a kid, so it’s important that we know what is going on.”
While many parents say they feel like their child is being unfairly blamed, others said they have found a solution to the school shooting crisis.
Teachers are being held accountable for shooting students, according to a new survey by the New York Civil Liberties Union.
“There is a need for accountability,” said Kristina McQuade, an attorney with the group.
“Teachers who shoot students are not only the most culpable, but they are also the ones who are doing the most damage.”
Teachers have been held responsible for shootings by students since at least 2005, when they were charged with murder and attempted murder in the killing of a teacher in Chicago.
The most recent incident in New Jersey involved a teacher who shot a student, but no one has been charged with a crime related to the shooting.
The New York City Department of Education is investigating the shooting in the district, which serves more than 5,000 students, and the district has released few details about what happened during the arrest.
The district has not responded to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
