East St. Louis teacher charged with felony after allegedly threatening to shoot students
A teacher at Mason Clark Middle School in East St. Louis School District 189 has been charged with a felony for allegedly threatening to shoot students while talking to another teacher on school grounds.
Terry Moran, a 59-year-old Belleville resident, faces one charge of threatening a school building or person, a class four criminal felony.
He was talking to the other teacher on May 9 when he said “that he ‘ought to bring a gun to school and shoot them all in the name of God,’” referring to the school’s students, according to the charging document filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court on May 11.
Moran was “visibly angry” at the time of the statement, which was made in a classroom while school was in session, according to the pre-trial release order. The order also says that Moran later denied he had actual intent and said he does not own any guns. He also scored a zero out of 14 on a risk assessment tool.
Sydney Stigge-Kaufman, executive director of communications and strategic partnerships, provided the following statement on behalf of East St. Louis 189:
“The safety of our students and staff is our utmost priority. We take any threat seriously and in this situation, we responded promptly and comprehensively, working closely with law enforcement. Our commitment remains unwavering in ensuring a secure and supportive environment for all members of our school community.”
When asked if Moran is still employed by the district, Stigge-Kaufman said the district does not publicly discuss personnel matters.
Moran is listed as a science teacher at Mason Clark in the district’s online staff directory. According to the pre-trial release order, Moran is prohibited from going to the school.
The school community was informed about the threat in a May 10 communication from Principal Renaldo Jackson saying that the district takes threats seriously and was working with law enforcement to ensure the safety of everyone on campus.
