Push for life sentence in Sarah Lawrence College sex manipulation case

Push for life sentence in Sarah Lawrence College sex manipulation case
Push for life sentence in Sarah Lawrence College sex manipulation case
Jason Marz/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Larry Ray, alleged sex trafficker, extortionist and master manipulator of young women and men at Sarah Lawrence College, deserves life in prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 20 for unleashing a campaign of terror on his victims, some of whom were college classmates of his daughter, federal prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum.

Ray was convicted in April of befriending the students and then, once they were caught in his snare, steadily grooming them, turning them into his slaves, forcing them to engage in labor for his own benefit and the benefit of his relatives, extorting them, and torturing them. He also sex-trafficked one of his victims.

“Lawrence Ray’s crimes were heinous. Over a period of years, he intentionally inflicted brutal and lifelong harm on innocent victims that he groomed and abused into submission,” prosecutors said.

What prosecutors called the Ray Enterprise was formed as early as 2010 when the victims were first targeted. It continued through at least 2020 when he sent messages as part of an effort to keep his victims silent, and — but for the investigation and prosecution — it would have had no logical endpoint, the judge said.

Five victims testified at trial: siblings Santos Rosario, Felicia Rosario, Yalitza Rosario; their mother, Maritza Rosario, and Claudia Drury.

Santos Rosario was a classmate of Larry Ray’s daughter, Talia Ray, at Sarah Lawrence College.

“While the defendant’s victims descended into self-hatred, self-harm, and suicidal attempts under his coercive control, the evidence showed that the defendant took sadistic pleasure in their pain and enjoyed the fruits of their suffering,” the prosecution sentencing submission said.

According to court records, Ray moved into a dorm and inserted himself into the lives of his daughter’s classmates. He read textbooks on psychological manipulation, false confessions, and brainwashing and turned a group of young students — his daughter’s college classmates and their siblings — into his slaves.

Prosecutors said that Ray steadily took over the minds and the bodies of his victims. He induced them to trust him and to believe he was all powerful and all knowing. Having gained their trust and convinced them to accept his lies as their truths, Ray made these impressionable young individuals doubt their own memories and knowledge, cut off relations with all other adults who might otherwise have offered support and guidance, and then — having induced them to manufacture false confessions with which he could threaten them with prison or worse — he forced them to do his bidding.

“He sought to convince his victims that they were worthless, undeserving of love, and irredeemable, and until his arrest in this case, he was succeeding,” prosecutors said. “He has shown no remorse, accepted no responsibility, and impeded the prosecution of this case, including by disrupting the trial and prolonging the trauma to his victims.”

Ray, 63, was convicted of more than a dozen counts including extortion, sex trafficking, forced labor, money laundering, and tax evasion.

The defense said he deserves the mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.

“The physical, sexual, and psychological abuse Lawrence Ray suffered as a child and through his young adulthood bears a striking resemblance to the conduct underlying the offenses he now stands convicted of,” defense attorney Marne Lenox said in a sentencing submission. “Mr. Ray’s traumatic childhood experience of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of his own family members undeniably shaped his adulthood.”

Though prosecutors expressed doubt about Ray’s remorse, the defense insisted he understood “the risks inherent to criminal conduct” because he has been incarcerated since his arrest three years ago.

“Mr. Ray not only knows the consequences of his actions, he has lived them. Never will he violate the law and risk the brutal detention that has stripped him of substantial time with his loved ones over the past nearly three years,” Lenox said.

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Uvalde school coach Wade Miller nominated for NFL’s High School Coach of the Year award in aftermath of shooting

Uvalde school coach Wade Miller nominated for NFL’s High School Coach of the Year award in aftermath of shooting
Uvalde school coach Wade Miller nominated for NFL’s High School Coach of the Year award in aftermath of shooting
MARK FELIX/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The NFL announced Wednesday the high school football coaches nominated by 32 NFL teams for the Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award, representing the best in coaching at the high school level.

In the eight months since the mass shooting that took 21 lives at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, the community found resilience and hope at the Honey Bowl Stadium, home of the Uvalde Coyotes. Miller said sports, especially football, have been a catalyst for healing in Uvalde.

“To be recognized for doing things the right way, through a really tough time. I could not be more proud. This means the world to me, the program and our community,” Miller told ABC News.

Miller was hired as the head football coach and athletic director in 2021. While he said his main goal was to turn around the losing football program, he unexpectedly became a shepherd through grief for the 54 players on his team, noting that when practice began in summer, many of the teens didn’t want to go home at the end of each night.

In a symbolic first season opener, the team won on the road, 21 to 13. Players and coaches told ABC News after the game scoring 21 points was a reminder of the 21 victims of the Robb tragedy that would be with them this season. The team — with Miller’s guidance — also chose an exemplary student and player to don the “21” jersey and serve as captain during the season — Justyn Rendon — a tradition he intends to continue.

“Being able to witness Coach Miller getting nominated for this award means so much not just to me, but to the community of Uvalde. He really has changed our football program since he’s arrived, summer of 2021,” Coyotes captain Rendon said. “He’s not just the guy on the field, but off of the field, he’s nothing but humble and kind, there for anyone in the community whenever needed … but to our program, he’s more than just a coach. He’s a home away from home, he’s a true role model for all of us, and he’s done nothing but give love even throughout the tragedy. Win or lose, there was something to learn and be proud of after every game,” he added.

The players’ parents also felt impacted by Miller’s presence.

“Coach Miller’s efforts and leadership in the 2022 season will outlast his football record,” added Justyn’s father, Eluterio Rendon. “What he did with these boys was truly remarkable as we watched the team compete week after week in one of the toughest districts in Texas. But it wasn’t all about what he did on the field, what was most notable was what he did off the field. And that was connect with our boys in a way that will forever change their lives. His compassion, humbleness, leadership and sincerity is the foundation that this community needed in a time of uncertainty.”

The Coyotes ended the season 5-6 after qualifying for playoffs for the first time in several years. Miller said of the season, “Our goal before the tragedy or before anything happened, was to win as many games as we lost to make the playoffs. And we did that. I’m very, very proud of my kids for the way they battled through and played and stuck together throughout a very tough season.”

Each NFL team recognizes one coach in its area with the Houston Texans nominating Miller. The Texans have invested in the Uvalde Coyote football team this season, including attending a pregame dinner, donating new uniforms and equipment and hosting the entire team for their season home opener in September 2022.

The award is named after pro football Hall of Famer Don Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history. According to the NFL, the coaches were judged based on areas Shula excelled at most during his career — character, integrity, leadership, dedication to the community, commitment to player health and safety and on-field success.

“High school football coaches serve as leaders and role models dedicated to shaping the lives of young high school players both on and off the field and this group represents the very best from across the country every year,” said Roman Oben, vice president of football development.

For the first time, the NFL will recognize two winners, one from the AFC and NFC conferences. These two winners will be invited to the Pro Bowl Games in Las Vegas on Feb. 5 and will be recognized in special ways during the NFL’s week-long celebration of football.

The NFL Foundation and Nike collaborated to provide the two winners with a $15,000 award to their high school football programs to support their growth and needs and a $10,000 cash award. The other 30 club nominees will all receive a $1,000 cash award.

The coaches will attend Super Bowl LVII in Phoenix as special guests of the NFL. The Don Shula Award winners will be announced in the days prior to the Pro Bowl Game, the multi-day AFC vs. NFC competition that will culminate in an action-packed flag game, at Allegiant Stadium. The Pro Bowl Game will air on ESPN and ABC on Feb. 5. The winners will also be recognized and walk the red carpet at the 12th annual NFL Honors.

 

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6-year-old’s backpack was searched the day of shooting that injured a teacher

6-year-old’s backpack was searched the day of shooting that injured a teacher
6-year-old’s backpack was searched the day of shooting that injured a teacher
Tony Anderson/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — In a town hall meeting with parents, a Virginia school district superintendent said that the backpack of a 6-year-old student who shot a teacher in a classroom was searched before the shooting, according to reporting from ABC News affiliate WVEC-TV.

Newport News Superintendent Dr. George Parker III said the boy accused in the shooting arrived at Richneck Elementary School late in the morning of Jan. 6, and that his backpack was searched after someone reported he may have had a weapon, according to WVEC-TV.

The person who searched the child’s bag didn’t find a weapon. A few hours later, 25-year-old teacher Abigail Zwerner was shot. The school district did not say who searched the boy’s bag, according to WVEC-TV.

The 6-year-old is accused of shooting Zwerner with a 9mm Taurus pistol in an “intentional” act, police said. She was initially hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

The school district said it will install metal detectors in every school.

The Newport News School Board said the first walk-through metal detectors for all students, faculty, staff and visitors will be installed at Richneck Elementary, board chair Lisa Surles-Law said during a press conference.

The school board said it will purchase 90 walk-through metal detectors which will be put in every school across the district.

The district was able to obtain funds from the city and repurpose funds from the school budget to purchase the metal detectors.

Surles-Law said a decision has not been made on when Richneck Elementary will reopen.

In addition to “state-of-the-art detectors,” the district will bolster protocols on handling school violence, including implementing a safety stand down and reviewing student conduct and discipline records, Surles-Law said.

 

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Dallas Zoo closes to search for missing clouded leopard

Dallas Zoo closes to search for missing clouded leopard
Dallas Zoo closes to search for missing clouded leopard
Colin Langford/Getty Images

(DALLAS) — The Dallas Zoo has closed its doors Friday as it searches for a clouded leopard that appears to have escaped from its enclosure.

“One of our clouded leopards was not in its habitat when the team arrived this morning and is unaccounted for at this time,” the zoo said in a statement on Twitter.

Dallas Zoo said it issued a “code blue,” for a non-dangerous animal outside of its habitat.

The female leopard, named Nova, is believed to have escaped through a tear in the mesh around its enclosure, according to Harrison Edell, the executive vice president of animal care at the zoo. Luna, Nova’s sister, was still in the enclosure when zookeepers arrived Friday morning.

The leopards are about 4 years old, Edell said. Clouded leopards are a small species of leopard, only about 25 pounds, he added.

“She does not pose a threat to humans,” Edell said. “More likely than not, when she’s scared, she’s going to climb a tree, stay out of our way, hunt some squirrels and birds, and hope not to be noticed.”

Clouded leopards are found in southeast Asia and China and males grow to be about 50 pounds, according to the Smithsonian Institute. Females only reach about 25 to 35 pounds. In the wild they eat monkeys, small deer and wild boars.

The zoo said Dallas police are on the scene as they continue to search for the big cat.

“Given the nature of these animals, we believe the animal is still on grounds and hiding,” the zoo added.

The zoo occupies 106 acres just south of downtown Dallas and has more than 400 species and 2,000 animals.

This is a developing story. Please check back for details.

 

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Mega Millions jackpot surges to $1.35 billion

Mega Millions jackpot surges to .35 billion
Mega Millions jackpot surges to .35 billion
youngvet/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The Mega Millions jackpot has surged to $1.35 billion for Friday’s drawing, the second-largest in the game’s history.

The only Mega Millions jackpot larger than Friday’s prize is the $1.537 billion prize won in South Carolina on Oct. 23, 2018.

The prize is also now the fourth-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history. Last November’s $2.04 billion prize, taken by a single winner in California, is the largest in U.S. history.

The lump sum cash option payout for Friday’s drawing is $707.9 million — before taxes.

Tuesday night’s winning numbers were 7, 13, 14, 15 and 18 and the Mega Ball number was 9.

The most recent Mega Millions jackpot win was at $502 million, shared by winning tickets in California and Florida, on Oct. 14.

While no one has claimed the top prize, there have been a total of almost 33.3 million winning tickets sold in the 25 drawings since the jackpot was last won.

Sixteen tickets matched the five white balls to win $1 million on Tuesday, while three people matched all five and played the multiplier to take home $3 million.

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At least seven dead after multiple tornadoes, severe winds tear through South

At least seven dead after multiple tornadoes, severe winds tear through South
At least seven dead after multiple tornadoes, severe winds tear through South
Heather Paul/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — A massive storm system sweeping across the United States struck the South on Thursday with severe winds and numerous tornadoes, killing at least seven people in Alabama and Georgia.

In Alabama’s Autauga County, northwest of Montgomery, at least six people died due to the severe weather, according to the local sheriff’s office. “Multiple” other people were hospitalized and about 40 to 50 homes were either damaged or destroyed, the county emergency management agency told ABC News.

In Georgia’s Butts County, southeast of Atlanta, at least one person — a child — died when a tree fell on a vehicle, the local coroner told ABC News.

Meanwhile, at least 23 tornadoes were reported across Alabama on Thursday. More twisters were expected as a line of severe storms moved through Georgia and the Carolinas on Thursday night.

One of the tornadoes delivered “significant damage” to Alabama’s historic city of Selma, according to the mayor’s office.

The National Weather Service confirmed a “large and extremely dangerous” tornado struck Selma on Thursday at 12:20 p.m. local time.

Most of Selma’s streets are closed due to downed power lines and trees, according to the mayor’s office.

All Selma students are reported to be safe and at their schools, the office added.

The city, a famous focal point of the civil rights movement, is located in central Alabama and has a population of about 17,000.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency for six counties — including Dallas County, which encompasses Selma, and Autauga County — “that were in the path of Mother Nature’s wrath,” the governor tweeted Thursday evening.

Ivey said she will be monitoring the severe weather system “to determine if an expanded state of emergency is needed.”

ABC News’ Matt Foster and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.

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Delphi double murder suspect to return to court

Delphi double murder suspect to return to court
Delphi double murder suspect to return to court
Photos of Abby Williams, left, and Libby German, right, at police headquarters in Delphi, Indiana. – Lindsey Jacobson/ABC News, FILE

(DELPHI, Ind.) — Delphi, Indiana, double murder suspect Richard Allen is set to return to court on Friday morning.

Allen County Judge Fran Gull is expected to review the gag order and consider the defense’s change of venue request.

Allen was arrested in October 2022 and charged with two counts of murder for the February 2017 killings of Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14. Allen has pleaded not guilty.

Abby and Libby, who were best friends, were on a hiking trail in rural Delphi when they were killed. The case, which garnered national interest, had gone years without an arrest.

While the girls were on the trail that day, one of them said “gun” as a man approached them, the probable cause affidavit said, citing video recovered from one of the victim’s phones. A man was seen and heard telling the girls, “Guys, down the hill,” and Abby and Libby then went down the hill, according to the probable cause affidavit.

A .40-caliber unspent round was found less than 2 feet away from one of the bodies and went through a gun that Allen owns, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Allen admitted to police he was on the trail the day of the murders but he denied knowing the victims and denied any involvement in their deaths, the affidavit said.

“When asked about the unspent bullet, [Allen] did not have an explanation of why the bullet was found” by the girls’ bodies, the probable cause affidavit said.

Police still have not released how Abby and Libby died.

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Tornadoes, severe storms tear through Alabama, six dead

Tornadoes, severe storms tear through Alabama, six dead
Tornadoes, severe storms tear through Alabama, six dead
Catherine McQueen/Getty Images

(SELMA, Ala.) — Severe weather devastated parts of Alabama, including Selma, on Thursday as multiple tornadoes tore through the state.

At least six people were killed due to severe weather in Autauga County, outside of Montgomery, the local sheriff’s office confirmed to ABC News. No further details were immediately available.

A tornado also delivered “significant damage” to the city of Selma, according to the mayor’s office.

A “large and extremely dangerous” tornado struck Selma at 12:20 p.m. local time, according to the National Weather Service.

Most of Selma’s streets are closed due to downed power lines and trees, according to the mayor’s office.

All Selma students are reported to be safe and at their schools, the office added.

The tornado in Selma is one of at least 23 twisters reported across Alabama on Thursday. More tornadoes are expected as a line of severe storms moves through Georgia and the Carolinas Thursday night.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency for six counties — including Dallas County, which encompasses Selma, and Autauga County — “that were in the path of Mother Nature’s wrath,” the governor tweeted Thursday evening.

Ivey said she will be monitoring the severe weather system “to determine if an expanded state of emergency is needed.”

Selma, a famous focal point of the civil rights movement, is located in central Alabama and has a population of about 17,000.

ABC News’ Matt Foster and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.

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4-year-old girl reported missing after sister found wandering alone; caretaker arrested: Police

4-year-old girl reported missing after sister found wandering alone; caretaker arrested: Police
4-year-old girl reported missing after sister found wandering alone; caretaker arrested: Police
Oliver Helbig/Getty Images

(CYRIL, Okla.) — Oklahoma police have arrested the caretaker of a 4-year-old girl who was reported missing after a postal carrier found her sister wandering alone outside on Tuesday, authorities said.

Local authorities began searching for Athena Brownfield Tuesday afternoon, when the postal worker discovered her 5-year-old sister near the children’s home in Cyril and notified police, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, which is also involved in the search.

Alysia Adams, 31, was arrested Thursday afternoon on two counts of child neglect, the agency said. The two sisters were reportedly in the care of Adams and her husband when the 5-year-old was found alone, police said.

Meanwhile, the search for Athena continues.

“The investigation into her whereabouts is active and ongoing,” the agency said Thursday.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol on Wednesday issued a missing and endangered person alert to people in a 15-mile radius of Cyril, located about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.

Law enforcement is working to put together an exact timeline of when Athena was last seen, according to Brook Arbeitman, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

The location of the parents is “part of the ongoing investigation,” Arbeitman told reporters Wednesday.

“Right now our top priority is locating her and sorting out who’s responsible will come next,” Arbeitman said. “But we need to find this little girl.”

Arbeitman said whether the child is a victim of physical harm is “yet to be determined,” though she is considered in danger at this time.

“She’s a little child and she’s missing, and she’s on her own in the elements,” Arbeitman said.

Her sister did not require any medical care and currently is in protective custody with the state, Arbeitman said.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and soldiers from Fort Sill are among those assisting in the search, Arbeitman said. State troopers were conducting sonar searches of bodies of water in and around Cyril on Wednesday. Search dogs from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and drones from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs have also been employed in the search.

Volunteers also helped conduct a grid search, looking in vacant houses and local waterways, police said.

Arbeitman said authorities are finding items in town that “could be relevant” and helpful to the case, though did not elaborate.

“We are finding things that we hope might give us clues,” she said.

Law enforcement is encouraging residents and businesses to share any surveillance footage they may have, including doorbell cameras, as well as to search their properties.

Athena is described by authorities as being 3 feet tall and 45 pounds with light brown hair and blue eyes. She is believed to have been recently wearing a butterfly hoodie.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations at 800-522-8017 or tips@osbi.ok.gov.

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‘I was really shocked’: Teachers react after 6-year-old allegedly shoots teacher

‘I was really shocked’: Teachers react after 6-year-old allegedly shoots teacher
‘I was really shocked’: Teachers react after 6-year-old allegedly shoots teacher
Jay Paul/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Teachers are speaking out days after a 6-year-old allegedly shot a teacher at a Newport News, Virginia, elementary school.

Trayvon Thompson teaches kindergarten at a public school in Los Angeles County. The 22-year-old is in his first year of teaching and he said when he first heard about the shooting, which reportedly took place last Friday, he was “shocked” and immediately had questions.

“My students are 6. I was just like, it really puts it into perspective. Like, OK, if he can do that, that makes it a little bit scarier because what if … one of my students were to do that?” Thompson told “Good Morning America.”

According to Newport News police, a 6-year-old student, who has not been identified, allegedly brought a gun from home to Richneck Elementary School on Friday, Jan. 6, and opened fire, striking Abigail Zwerner, a 25-year-old first grade teacher at the school, in the hand and chest.

Authorities described the incident as an “intentional” act.

The incident is the latest in a spate of other school shootings, which have roughly doubled in the last 10 years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Zwerner, who according to police managed to usher her students to safety even after being shot, was taken to a local hospital following the incident.

On Monday, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said the 25-year-old was in stable condition.

After learning about the incident, Thompson took to TikTok to share his thoughts. “I was really shocked and I wanted to see how other people felt about it, how it made them feel, if it would make them scared to go to school in a way,” he said.

Of his post, Thompson told “GMA,” “I did mention the fact that if a school shooting were to happen in a school I worked at, that I would deeply consider quitting. I don’t really blame anyone if they would quit because of [a] school shooting or would say, ‘You know what, let me not be a teacher due to it.'”

Teachers across the U.S. have been leaving the profession in droves, and last fall, 45% of public schools reported they had at least one vacant teaching position, according to data from NCES.

Educators have cited stressors such as burnout, mental health struggles, school safety, low pay, funding cuts and a lack of respect as reasons many are leaving, or are considering leaving, the education field.

Marisa Palermo is also an elementary school teacher at a Connecticut public school and has been teaching for the last nine years. She said this year is the first time where she’s considered the idea of leaving her profession, one that she loves.

“This is something that teachers should never ever have to even worry about happening coming into school, just the same as students should never have to worry about being harmed in school either,” Palermo, 30, said.

“I was pretty angry that [Zwerner] was even put into this situation for this to happen,” the fifth grade teacher added.

Teachers say change is needed

Palermo opened up Monday in her own TikTok post, sharing a strong message. “Administration WAKE UP,” she captioned her video.

Other teachers chimed in on Palermo’s post, sharing their own viewpoints.

“I have been a para educator for 13 years [at] a public high school. Every year has gotten worse, and scarier. People don’t understand who don’t work in it,” wrote one TikTok user.

“Teacher here of 29 years and you said exactly what we’re all saying. If I was starting out as an educator now, I would never stay in this career,” another added.

Both Palermo and Thompson said safety concerns are always at the back of their minds, especially since gun violence has become a leading cause of death for children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“As a teacher, my number one concern always is keeping my students safe and that comes before anything else to me, like academics, anything. So watching the way things have been going down in our country, it is a thought that I have going into work every single day,” Palermo said.

Thompson said he’s even adopted a safety precaution in his daily routine.

“I’ve started carrying pepper spray with me,” he said. “It’s just something that at first I was carrying it in case somebody tried to do something to me while I was walking down the street but now … if someone were to come in with a gun, at least that’s something I do have on deck. Maybe I can’t reach anything to throw but maybe I can get to my pepper spray quickly enough and maybe I could spray with it.”

Palermo and Thompson are also of the opinion that schools need to provide more mental health resources — and not just for students.

“What schools will do, they’ll provide counselors and resources for students, but sometimes I feel like they overlook teachers and the trauma that teachers go through when it comes to shootings,” Thompson said. “They should think about teachers heavily as well.”

“What I’m seeing right now in schools, and what I’m hearing from other educators as well, is our students are crying out for help, and nobody’s really listening, it feels like — and surely nobody is listening to teachers,” Palermo said.

Palermo suggested one way of effecting change is to bring teachers to the table and not only rely on lawmakers and administrators who may be far removed from today’s classroom to make school-related policy decisions.

“I think one of the biggest changes that can be made, other than money of course … is having teachers be part of this decision-making process at the school level but also at state levels to help our country just improve,” Palermo said.

Parents have also been speaking out in the aftermath of the alarming incident. They include Joselin Glover, whose son is a fourth grade student at Richneck Elementary.

“It’s just really hard to process that this happened to us,” Glover told “GMA.”

“[My son] said to me on our walk out, ‘I don’t want to come back here. I never want to come back here. I want to forget this happened.'” Glover recalled her child telling her after she picked him up from school on Friday.

Michele Nordeen, the president of the Newport News Council PTA, which includes Richneck Elementary, told “GMA” the local PTA council is standing by teachers and students in the community following Friday’s shooting.

“I reached out to the Richneck teachers just to let them know that we’ve had a huge outpouring across from PTAs across the country offering support, and I wanted to let them know that even though the child and the injured teacher had been receiving all of the attention, that I wanted to let them know that we were also thinking of them,” Nordeen said.

In a statement released last Friday, Nordeen and Virginia PTA president Pamela Croom also said in part, “Schools should be safe places that celebrate learning. We cannot become numb to these continued acts of violence in our schools. We must all play a role in working collaboratively to address violence in our schools and create a strong safety-net of mental health support for our children that helps them learn how to channel anger and frustration in a healthy manner.”

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