NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A substitute teacher in Queens was arrested after he allegedly threatened to shoot middle school students during a class, according to a report.
Alejandro Rocha, 52, was charged Wednesday evening with making a terroristic threat, police said.
Sources told the Daily News that Rocha threatened students during an art class at I.S. 5 - The Walter Crowley Intermediate School in Maspeth on Wednesday afternoon.
"If you won't do as you're told, I'm gonna shoot you — and yes, I have a gun," Rocha told the students, according to the report.
There were nine children, ages 11 to 12, in the class at the time, the sources said.
Rocha voluntarily fessed up to a supervisor, apologizing and saying it was a joke before he was arrested, according to the report.
Rocha, who reportedly has no prior disciplinary history, was suspended without pay by the city Department of Education.
A spokesperson for the department told the Daily News: "This deeply disturbing allegation is absolutely unacceptable and this substitute teacher was immediately suspended."
