- Mrs Viswanathan realised something was wrong after two fire alarms sounded
- Instead of letting pupils out her math class, she told them to duck in the corner
- Mrs V refused to let SWAT teams in as they had to gain entry through the window
- A mother of a pupil in the class said Mrs V’s actions helped to save student’s lives
The heroic actions of a teacher caught up in the Florida high school shooting has been hailed for helping to save the lives of her students.
Mrs Shanthi Viswanathan, known as ‘Mrs V’ to her pupils, realised something was wrong when a second fire alarm of the day rang out around Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday.
Instead of letting her pupils out of her Algebra lesson, Mrs V made pupils crouch on the floor in the corner of the room and put paper over the window so no one could see in.
The mother of one of her students, called Brian, claimed her quick-thinking helped save the lives of her students.
Dawn Jarboe said: ‘She was quick on her feet. She used her knowledge. She saved a lot of kids.’
Mrs Shanthi Viswanathan, known as ‘Mrs V’ to her pupils, has been praised for her quick-thinking which could have helped save her student’s lives
A SWAT was also unable to convince Mrs V of opening up the door as she was unsure that it might have been a ploy by the gunman to gain access to the room.
Jarboe added: ‘She said, “Knock it down or open it with a key. I’m not opening the door.”‘
SWAT teams then smashed through the window to gain entry to the room, according to a text sent by Brian to his mother, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Since Wednesday’s attack, horrifying footage has emerged of bodies lying in pools of blood as hysterical students cower nearby after the Florida high school gunman stormed in and opened fire.
The disturbing videos and images were taken by students inside when suspected gunman Nikolas Cruz shot dead 17 people.
Horrifying footage has emerged of a girl’s body lying in a pool of blood inside Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Wednesday after a gunman stormed in and opened fire
Another video showed students literally shaking with fear as heavily armed police entered their classrooms and ordered them to put their hands up
Images taken from one student’s cellphone video show a girl’s lifeless body lying in the middle of a classroom in a pool of blood.
Police can be seen carrying a different female student from the classroom as a number of terrified, sobbing students follow the officer cautiously to safety.
The students were forced to run through the blood-streaked halls to get outside the building, passing by several other lifeless bodies and discarded backpacks.