A 5th grade teacher in Chicago was arrested this week after a student reported them for saying they had a “kill list” which included her students and colleagues.
According to the East Chicago Police Department, authorities responded to a call to St. Stanislaus School on Wednesday. The principal and assistant principal said one of their students told a counselor at the school that their teacher — identified as 25-year-old Angelica Carrasquillo-Torres — “made comments to him/her about killing herself, students, and staff” earlier in the day.
Per police, “The teacher further told the student that she has a list and that he/she was on the bottom of that list.”
One of the students who allegedly reported the teacher spoke with CBS, saying Carrasquillo-Torres told her “she wanted to kill her middle school friends, her high school friends, and half of her family. Then she admitted that she had a kill list.”
After the teacher was then escorted to the principal’s office, the teacher allegedly admitted to making those comments to the student, confirmed she had a “kill list” and revealed one of the names on the list, which was not provided.
While the teacher was told to leave as they investigated the incident further, the school didn’t notify the police of the situation “until 4 hours later, after the teacher was allowed to leave.” Parents expressed their frustration with the school to CBS, wondering why they let her walk free after the shocking admission.
The following morning, the teacher was arrested without incident.
The school released the following statement to Facebook on Thursday night:
It is with great sadness that we share the following statement.
On Wednesday, October 12, at approximately 12:45 p.m., the staff at St. Stanislaus School responded to a concerning report from a student regarding comments made by the student’s teacher. 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. The teacher was interviewed to further identify the details of the incident.
After students were safely dismissed at the end of the school day, the teacher was escorted off campus and the East Chicago police department was notified at approximately 4:45 p.m. When asked, the police assured the principal that the facility was safe and that they could proceed normally with all scheduled learning and school events for the next school day.
The well-being and safety of our Catholic school students and staff is a top priority. In response to this incident the principal has moved to an e-learning environment for Friday, October 14 and made resources available, including access to a school counselor, to support students during this difficult time. 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.
While we are still navigating this unimaginable event, we are grateful for the teachers and staff who carefully and compassionately listen to the concerns of students, with respect for their well-being. We thank God for the family culture of St. Stanislaus that provides students with an environment where they feel safe sharing concerns and questions with teachers and staff. We thank God for guidance while the situation unfolded on Wednesday, bringing truth to light in a way that protected all involved. We thank God for the beautiful community of St. Stanislaus parish who join us in praying for the St. Stanislaus school family.
If anyone has additional information or questions pertaining to this investigation, we encourage you to contact the East Chicago Police Department.
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