Indian teacher saved many FL students

PARKLAND, FL — An Indian American algebra teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., did everything in her power to protect her students when bullets were sprayed throughout the school.

Shanthi Viswanathan, or Ms V as the students call her, became suspicious when the fire alarm rang out for the second time on February 14, the day a shooter entered the school and killed 17 people.

Instead of releasing her Algebra II students, Viswanathan put a piece of paper over the window on the class door and told her students to huddle on the floor in the corner of the room.

Dawn Jarboe, whose son was in the class, told reporters that Viswanathan’s actions probably saved her son and the rest of the kids in the class.

It is learnt that Viswanathan even refused opening the door for SWAT members when they arrived.

Instead, according to Jarboe, the teacher told the SWAT team to knock down the door or open it with a key.

The younger Jarboe texted his mother that a SWAT member took out the window and cleared the room.

Former student Nikolas de Jesus Cruz, 19, entered the high school around 2:20 pm on February 14 after arriving in an Uber. He was armed with an assault rifle and a duffel bag full of magazines.

He shot people on the school grounds, in the hallways and in five classrooms before being arrested at about 3:45 pm, leaving 17 people dead and many injured, including an Indian American student.

If not for Visvanathan’s actions, there may have been more victims.