Amanda Hicks was a teacher at Anderson Middle School in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
A beloved Florida middle school teacher was found dead Saturday morning alongside a man in what police believe was a murder-suicide.
Port St. Lucie police said in a statement that they arrived at a home for a welfare check on behalf of a family member of a man who lived there. When they arrived, the door was locked, but officers “could hear a young infant inside the residence crying.”
Through a sliding door, officers saw two deceased people on the floor. “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, adding that authorities believe the two “were romantically involved.”
Police have not identified the deceased, but Treasure Coast Newspapers and CBS12 report that Darcia Borel, the principal at Anderson Middle School in Port St. Lucie, sent out a memo to staff identifying the victim as Amanda Hicks, 26.
“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.
The identity of the man has not been made public. Police have not specified how the man and woman were killed.
Police removed the crying infant from the crib. The infant was unharmed and is now with a family member.
Hicks’ friend Raquel Magallon described Hicks in an interview with WBPF, saying, “She just lit up the room. She had such a big, beautiful smile. She was always happy and always energetic.”
“She was just an angel,” Magallon said, adding, “She definitely brightened my day every time I saw her.