Teacher shot and killed at Tacoma, Wash., elementary school; suspected shooter also killed

Teacher shot and killed at Tacoma, Wash., school

TACOMA, Wash. — A man shot and killed a special education teacher as she walked into her Tacoma, Wash., school Friday, shortly before students began arriving for school.

The News Tribune and KOMO-TV report that the suspected shooter was killed by police shortly after in the Frederickson area.

Tacoma Police spokesman Mark Fulghum (FUL’-jum) says the suspect and victim knew each other but their relationship was unclear. He says the teacher went to court to get an anti-harassment protection order against him within the last few weeks.

Fulghum says the shooter was waiting for the 30-year-old teacher when she arrived and shot her a number of times as she was trying to enter Birney Elementary.

The school has about 400 students in grades K-5. Classes were called off for the day.

AP Writer Donna Blankinship contributed to this story from Seattle.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Tacoma, Wash., authorities say a special education teacher was shot and killed Friday at an elementary school by an acquaintance who was reportedly shot and killed by police.

A school district spokesman says the woman was shot at about 7:35 a.m. at Birney Elementary before students arrived. The spokesman says the teacher worked in the language resource center helping students one-on-one with reading problems.

The school has about 400 students in grades K-5. Classes were called off for the day.

Police spokesman Mark Fulghum says the suspect and the victim knew each other and were in their 30s.

The News Tribune and KOMO-TV report that the suspected shooter was shot and killed by police in the Frederickson area, which is about 11 miles south of the school.

AP Writer Donna Blankinship contributed to this story from Seattle.