"Words will never be enough to convey the shock and sadness this news has brought to our school family," Darcia Borel, principal of the school where Amanda was a teacher, wrote.
Trigger Warning: The following content mentions gun violence, intimate partner violence, and death by suicide which may be distressing to some readers.
In a tragic incident that took place on May 27 morning, Amanda Hicks, a beloved teacher from a middle school in Florida was discovered dead, along with a man, in what appears to be a case of murder-suicide, as per the police's initial assessment.
Authorities responded to a request for a welfare check at a residence, made by a concerned family member of the man residing there. Upon arrival, the officers encountered a locked door but could hear the distressing cries of Amanda's 10-month baby from inside the house. “It appears at this time, an adult female was killed by an adult male who then took his own life,” police said in the release. They added that authorities believe the two “were romantically involved,” per PEOPLE.
A teacher in Port St. Lucie, Florida was killed in a murder-suicide on Saturday.
— Newtown Action Alliance (@NewtownAction) May 29, 2023
The last day of the school year in Martin County was Friday, a day before Amanda Hicks was killed.
When officers went into the home, they found a crying baby in its crib.https://t.co/EMwoybMxR6 pic.twitter.com/lMU6LXa9mH
The victim has not been formally identified by police, however, Treasure Coast Newspapers reports that Darcia Borel, principal of Anderson Middle School in Port St. Lucie, sent a statement to colleagues identifying the victim as 26-year-old Amanda Hicks. "While words will never be enough to convey the shock and sadness this news has brought to our school family, it is more important than ever to come together to support one another through our grief journey," Borel’s memo said.
Amanda Hicks, Anderson Middle School teacher dead after murder-suicidehttps://t.co/zoCHz8ceQa
— ABC-2NEWS (@abc2newss) May 28, 2023
Hicks had been a friend of Raquel Magallon's since 2018. Hicks, Magallon said, always wanted to work with children and worked hard to become a teacher, per WPBF. "She just lit up the room. She had such a big, beautiful smile. She was always happy and always energetic,” said Magallon. “This is like really shocking and really sad... She was just an angel. She was the most happiest person. She definitely brightened my day every time I saw her."
“She was an amazing mother to a beautiful baby girl, she was a great sister, and was a beloved teacher and friend,” her brother Eric, who started a fundraiser on Angel Link, wrote. “She will be deeply missed and didn’t deserve to leave this world so soon by someone else’s hand.”
The Port St. Lucie Police Department is looking into the incident as a probable murder-suicide. Police believe no one else was involved. Amanda's 10-month-old is now safe and under the care of her family member.
“Additional information about memorials and opportunities for supporting Amanda’s beautiful little girl will be forthcoming. Please remember to hug your loved ones a little tighter and keep Amanda’s family in your thoughts and hearts,” Borel added in the email to the school.
References:
https://people.com/middle-school-teacher-killed-by-man-murder-suicide-7505101
https://www.wpbf.com/article/crying-baby-leads-to-murder-suicide-investigation/44021368
Cover Image Source: Angel Link | Amanda Hicks Memorial & family fund
