Temara King: Schoolteacher Fatally Shot In Jersey City
Jersey City officers responded to her apartment around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, where they found Temara King, 35, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She died at the hospital.
Temara Sarafina King, a 35-year-old Jersey City mother and schoolteacher, was a tireless advocate for children. In addition to teaching third grade, she worked the after-school program, summer school and provided Developmental Intervention services to children under age 3, according to a GoFundMe.
“Temara was full of life and brightened any room she entered with her smile. In her leisure, Temara shared her love for fitness and overall wellness,” her GoFundMe says. “You could count on her to share a workout tip or simply post a positive message on her Instagram every morning.”
Officers responded to her apartment around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, where they found King suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Her 14-year-old daughter, who was inside the apartment but unharmed, was the one who called 911, according to media reports.
King was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
A short time later, her husband, Lucas Cooper, 39, was apprehended by law enforcement in Pennsylvania. He was arrested and charged with murder, weapon possession, and child endangerment.
In a statement, Jersey City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Norma Fernandez said King “was an outstanding educator and dedicated faculty member. She will be missed and our prayers go to her family as they cope with the tragedy."
According to the GoFundMe page, King used her Instagram page to uplift those close to her. It reads:
“If you scanned her page, in just a glimpse you’d know that Temara was very family oriented. It is clear that she was a loving daughter, sister, aunt, granddaughter, cousin, niece, etc. but no role was more important to her than being the mother of Alaysia who she affectionately referred to as her “Mooche”/“Lay”. Alaysia was what Temara described as her greatest creation.
We know that losing Temara will impact Lay in ways that we can’t begin to process at the moment. However, we do know that she would want her to continue her legacy and life long commitment of pursuing her educational goals.
We would be so grateful for any donation that you contribute to securing a bright future for Lay, just as her mother would have wanted. Thank you so so much in advance for your kindness during such a difficult time.”
If you are enduring a domestic violence situation, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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