Black Teacher Who 'Embodied' Love Killed By Man In Apparent Murder-Suicide

By Jovonne Ledet

May 9, 2024

Photo: Getty Images

A beloved high school teacher in Philadelphia was fatally shot by a man in an apparent murder-suicide, PEOPLE reports.

According to the Philadelphia Police Department, Richard Harper, 42, shot 36-year-old Ondria Glaze in the cheek before he was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head inside a home in the Grays Ferry neighborhood on Monday (May 6).

The nature of the relationship between Harper and Glaze is unclear.

Olney High School principal Michael Roth wrote a letter to the school's community amid the teacher's death.

“At Olney, we have a statement, ‘Olney Love.’ Ms. Glaze could truly be defined as ‘Olney Love,’” Roth said. “She embodied this mantra and blessed every student and staff member she came across.”

Glaze's school started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to fund a scholarship in her name.

“This scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior each year, helping them pursue their dreams and continue the positive impact that Ms. Glaze had on all of us,” the GoFundMe reads. “The funds raised will go into a trust that will ensure this scholarship can be given for years to come.”

As of Thursday (May 9), over $19,000 was donated to the scholarship.

“Ms. Glaze was 'the brightest light' according to a colleague, who described Ms. Glaze by saying 'She made everyone feel like she was their favorite person in the world,’” Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Jerry T. Jordan said in a statement. “This is an incredibly tragic loss for the entire Olney High School community and for all of Ms. Glaze's loved ones.”

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