West Palm Beach Teacher Charged With Father’s Murder Near School

Leah Scott, a 43-year-old teacher at JFK Middle School in West Palm Beach, Florida, has been charged with first-degree murder and discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school after fatally shooting her 75-year-old father, Leroy Scott, near Bak Middle School of the Arts. The shooting occurred following an argument in which Leah told her father to "stop bothering her," and he responded, "Get out of my face," before walking away. Leah Scott followed him down the driveway and fired multiple shots, killing him; she later admitted to the shooting and said she initially intended to shoot herself but discarded the gun instead. She was arrested about two miles from the scene and is being held without bail. The incident forced Bak Middle School to go into lockdown for several hours, and the school principal confirmed that Leah Scott will have no contact with students. Her defense attorney argues the shooting was not premeditated and that more facts will emerge to support her defense as the case proceeds.