MIDVALE, Utah – A Utah high school teacher is accused of fatally shooting her ex-husband's girlfriend Sunday night in front of two 3-year-old children.
Chelsea Cook, 32, faces an aggravated murder charge for allegedly shooting and killing 26-year-old Lisa Williams, her ex-husband Travis Cook's girlfriend.
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The shooting occurred at an apartment about 7 p.m. Sunday, police said.
Travis Cook told officers that his ex-wife Chelsea Cook stopped at the apartment to deliver cold medicine to one of their children. Chelsea entered the apartment while Travis was in the parking lot, then locked herself in the bathroom after being told to leave, according to a police report. Emergency crews were called at this time.
Chelsea Cook eventually left the bathroom and grabbed her coat before suddenly pulling out a handgun and firing five shots at Williams, police said. Williams was shot at least twice in the torso, according to investigators.
The entire ordeal occurred in front of Travis and Chelsea Cook's 3-year-old twins, the report stated.
Travis Cook was able to wrestle the gun away from Chelsea Cook before attempting to give first aid to his girlfriend, police said. Chelsea attempted to leave, but her ex-husband pinned her against a wall until officers arrived.
Cook was taken to the Salt Lake County Jail, according to officials.
KSL.com confirmed that Cook was a health and yoga teacher at Skyridge High School in Lehi, Utah. An Alpine School District spokesperson said Cook was immediately fired.
The school released the following letter to students and parents Monday (obtained by KUTV):
PARENTS: The following letter is being read to your students right now. All students are safe, and we have additional counselors on hand to help our students and faculty process this information. We ask that you please not contact the school at this time unless it is an emergency so that we can focus our resources on helping our students. There will be additional information sent by Dr. Perkins later this afternoon.
Dear Skyridge Students and Parents,
This morning we learned about a situation involving one of our Skyridge teachers, Ms. Cook. She was arrested and charged with a serious crime. We know there will be information in the media regarding this incident. We want you to be aware of what we have learned, so we can help you process and provide support to any of you who may be in need.
This type of news is hard to comprehend and we want you to know that teachers, counselors and your parents can help provide support in this difficult time.
As you leave school, you may see news media presence set up outside. We encourage you not to engage with reporters who may want to talk with you regarding this heartbreaking incident. District officials will be at the school answering media questions. If you are approached, we recommend that you direct any media requests for interviews to school administration or Alpine School District officials.
If you need help, we are here for you. Please let your teacher know and they will have someone escort you down to the counseling center.
We are a family and we care deeply about each of you. Please do not hesitate to ask for help if you need it.
Dr. Perkins
Court records obtained by KSL.com revealed that Cook was charged last month with assault and two counts of domestic violence in the presence of children. Police said she caused minor injuries to an adult male in her apartment.