MIAMI-DADE, Fla. — A beloved math teacher in South Florida was killed in an apparent murder-suicide over Labor Day weekend, according to multiple reports.
Maria Cruz was shot Friday afternoon at a home on SW 165th Terrace, according to CBS Miami. Police reportedly responded to the home after getting reports of a shooting.
When they arrived, police said they found a man dead inside the home. It appeared he had shot himself in the head, NBC6 reported. Police also reportedly found another man and a woman — later identified as Cruz — inside the home who had also been shot.
Another woman was also reportedly in the home but was not hurt.
Both the man and Cruz were rushed to the hospital for treatment of their injuries. Cruz later died at the hospital, according to WSVN.
"It is with a heavy heart that we inform you of the loss of our cherished Ms. Maria Cruz," Doral Academy Principal Eleonora Cuesta told NBC6 in a statement. "Her compassion, commitment, and love for her students have left an indelible mark on us all. In these difficult times, our thoughts and heartfelt prayers are with her daughters."
Cruz reportedly worked for Doral Academy and Just Arts and Management in Miami for close to a decade, according to a GoFundMe organized by the school.
The school said Cruz was "a beloved teacher who showed unwavering love and dedication to our Doral Academy and Just Arts and Management students for nearly a decade."
Cruz was the mother of two girls, according to the GoFundMe. The GoFundMe organizers asked the community to "come together for her two daughters as they navigate this extremely difficult time."
