Woman Kills Herself in Fifth-Grade Classroom

An armed woman walked into a classroom near Tustin Monday and shot herself in the head in front of 27 fifth-graders, saying she was sorry she had “to do it this way,” Orange County sheriff’s officials said.

Mary Jo Jansen, 44, walked into the back of the classroom at Panorama Elementary School at about 11:20 a.m., holding two pistols, one in each hand, said Sheriff’s Lt. Bob Rivas.

The teacher told the students to lower their heads onto their desks.

Jansen, speaking in a low voice, then said, “I’m sorry, I have to do it this way,” Rivas said.

The woman then put one of the guns to her temple and pulled the trigger. The gun, however, misfired. Rivas said Jansen then aimed the gun at a wall and pulled the trigger again.

“The second time it worked,” he said.

Jansen put the gun back to her head and fired again. She was taken to Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, where she was pronounced dead at 12:17 p.m.

The teacher “did a good job by instructing (the students) to keep their heads down and eyes averted,” he said.

Orange Unified School District officials brought in a psychologist to counsel the children, who were later allowed to go home.

Acting superintendent John Ikerd said a letter was sent to the students’ parents detailing what happened.

“The school district regrets this incident but is thankful no students or employees were harmed,” he said.

He added that Jansen was not a school district employee, nor had she been seen at the school before.