Michael “Mike” Landsberry, a math teacher at Sparks Middle School in Nevada, is reportedly the teacher who was killed on Monday morning by a gunman at the school, according to local reports.
NBC News affiliate KRNV confirmed that Landsberry was killed in the shooting, according to family members.
“To hear he was trying to protect those kids doesn’t surprise me at all,” said family member Chanda Landsberry, who married to his younger brother, Reggie, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. “He could have ducked and hid, but he didn’t. That’s not who he is.”
Before that, Sparks students posted on Twitter and Facebook that he was the teacher who was shot.
In a press conference, police officials said that Landsberry was shot and killed during a confrontation with a student, who has not yet been identified. One of the police officials described him as a “hero.”
However, officials have yet to identify if Landsberry was the one who was shot.
According to the school’s website, Landsberry was an eighth grade math teacher.
“Every single middle schooler I talked to said mr.landsberry got shot & was the only teacher shot,” one student wrote on Twitter.
Other reports say that Landsberry was a former member of the U.S. Marines and was a popular math teacher who had a wife and family. Photos uploaded to a Facebook account associated with him shows that he recently got married.
He also apparently had a website for students. “One of my goals is to earn your respect while you earn mine. I believe that with mutual respect that the classroom environment will run smoothly,” it reads.
The suspect, who is believed to be a student, is believed to have killed himself, reported The Associated Press.
Two other students were also reportedly wounded in the incident. They were taken to Renown Regional Hospital, said spokeswoman Angela Rambo, reported AP.
Describing the incident, Kyle Nucum, a 13-year-old student at Sparks Middle School, said that he saw another student shoot his teacher.
He told the Reno Gazette-Journal that he saw his teacher run over to the student after the teacher saw the him with a gun. The teacher was then shot.
“We heard a pop, like a loud pop, and everybody was screaming and the teacher came to investigate,” Nucum said. “I thought it was a firecracker at first, but the student was pointing a gun at the teacher after the teacher told him to put it down, and the student fired a shot at the teacher and the teacher fell and everybody ran away.
On Twitter, a number of students and others mourned the death of Landsberry.
Wrote one student: “Saw Ms Wellman walking by crying talking about Mr Landsberry.”
“Im really upset right now, but I don’t wanna believe anything, Mr.Landsberry will be okay,” reads one.
Another wrote: “i had the chills when i heard that mr. landsberry died. having him for math was the best. its too hard to even believe.”
Said another, “Rip to Mr. Landsberry my freshmen soccer coach.”
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