Brooklyn murder suspect fired by NYC Dept. of Education after parents express outrage

Today, prosecutors are expected to announce an indictment against the man accused of killing a woman who was just running in Brooklyn. My questions remain as to how the suspect was hired by the Department of Education. Jessica Formoso has more details from the criminal courthouse in downtown Brooklyn. Jessica, what are you learning this morning? Good morning, Dan and Rosanna. It is unclear at this hour whether or not the suspect, 27-year-old Syed Mohassib, will be appearing here in court in person. We know that prosecutors will be announcing that indictment later today. We learned overnight also that the suspect has been fired from PS200. Initially, he was first suspended pending, and then termination was pending the the outcome of the conviction. Now Mohassib has been charged with second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and criminal possession of a weapon in the death of 28-year-old runner Katie Suarez. Suarez was out running along the Shore Parkway Greenway in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, on the night of October 30th. Police say she was stabbed multiple times in the neck. She died three days later. According to the criminal complaint, the suspect told investigators he went to the bike path carrying a knife because he believed people were going to come and kill him. His family, he allegedly told police he sat down on a bench along the path and somehow ended up covered in blood and then went running home, threw away his bloody clothes along with a knife in an attempt to cover it all up. Mohassib has a history of mental health issues. He became an NYPD officer in October of 2022, but the next month he enlisted in the military. By December, he resigned from the NYPD, but in January of 2023, officials say he tries to rejoin the But his supervisors denied his request to return to the force, citing concerning behavior. In fact, he was sent to Bellevue Hospital for psychiatric evaluation that same day. The Marine Corps also confirming he was discharged from the Marines after just two weeks of training. Yet, he was hired by the Department of Education as a teacher's aide at PS200. Mayor Mamdani was asked about how that was possible. I have directed my team to conduct a full review into this matter, I think underlining the importance of the fact that nothing is more paramount than the safety of our students. Now, the DOE initially suspended Mohassib saying it would move to terminate pending the outcome of the conviction. Parents outraged the school missed all the alleged red flags in the background check. Late last night, the DOE got back to us saying, quote, this individual's employment has been terminated. New York City Public Schools maintains a robust background and review process for employment in schools. We are conducting a review to explore any areas where this can be strengthened. And in short, no stone is left unturned when it comes to student safety. New York State Senator Steve Chan, who represents the area, shared state law should require the Department of Education's hiring standards be just as thorough as any other city agency, including the NYPD. What happened to a simple HIPAA check to reveal that he was admitted in Bellevue Hospital for a psychological evaluation? And currently, I am writing legislation to mandate the psychological testing, the same type of testing that the police officers go through before somebody can become a paraprofessional or a school aide. Now, later this morning, local leaders will be gathering at the running path, calling for safety and lighting improvements there. Now, as for the victim, Katie Suarez, we have learned that her wake will be tomorrow and she will be laid to rest on Thursday. Dan. All right, Jessica, thank you very much for that information.