The Westchester County teacher who was killed by her husband, a former NYPD detective, this week is shown in a heartbreaking family photo smiling with her children.
Friends of the mother of three have called her “truly remarkable.”
In a happy family picture on her Facebook page, Arlene Connolly O’Neill, 47, can be seen posing with her husband and their three kids at a baseball game.
O’Neill was shot several times by her husband, Sean O’Neill, at their home on Chittenden Avenue in Yonkers on Wednesday morning.
She was a fifth-grade teacher at Anne Hutchinson School in the Eastchester Union Free School District.
Police in the area say Sean O’Neill, 54, then shot himself in the head.
The couple’s three kids, ages 15, 13, and 11, were home at the time of the shooting, but police say they were not hurt.
Sources told The Post that the kids are now being cared for by an uncle who is the fire chief in the area.
They also said that the couple had been having problems with their marriage for a while before the deadly explosion.
A letter sent to parents late Wednesday night said that the school district sent a “crisis team” to the school where Arlene O’Neill had taught to meet with the sad students, staff, and teachers.
The letter said that counselors from other school districts in the county had sent help.
On Thursday, the district board of education sent a letter to the community in which it said that its members were devastated by “the most terrible tragedy.”
The letter said, “Mrs. O’Neill was not only a great teacher, but also a beloved member of our community who made a difference in the lives of many students and coworkers.”
“We will all miss Arlene a lot and have a hard time grieving her death for a long time.”
Thursday night, at Annunciation Church in Yonkers, there was going to be a private mass.
Arlene O’Neill was a determined and hardworking teacher for over 25 years in the Eastchester School District, a fearless mother, a thoughtful sister, and a kind friend, according to a GoFundMe page set up in her honor.
A tribute to Arlene said, “She has spent countless hours molding the minds of her students while also raising her three amazing boys, who were her pride and joy.”
“Arlene showed strength, kindness, and toughness.” Never putting herself first, she gave her all to her school and her family.
The GoFundMe page said that any money raised would go toward the O’Neill boys’ schooling and “their talents in both music and sports that Arlene worked so hard to encourage and support.”
By Thursday evening, more than $220,000 had been raised by Thursday morning.
