Beloved Pennsylvania teacher killed by husband, who then tried to take his own life, police say

A man is suspected of shooting and killing his wife before turning the gun on himself in an apparent failed murder-suicide attempt last week in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, authorities said. 

Dennis Morgan fatally shot his wife, Taryn Morgan, before turning the gun on himself following a domestic dispute at their home in Jefferson Township on May 21, Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release. State police said Taryn Morgan was pronounced dead at the scene, while 46-year-old Dennis Morgan was "not expected to survive" the self-inflicted gunshot wound. However, authorities have not provided an update on his condition as of Monday night. 

Taryn Morgan taught agriculture and was an advisor in the Upper Dauphin Area School District, according to a post on Facebook from the Upper Dauphin Area Future Farmers of America and Agricultural Program. The post went on to say that the 45-year-old teacher was "more than an educator. She was a mentor, a role model, and a constant source of passion and positivity for so many students and community members."

"Her love for agriculture and her dedication to her students left a lasting impact that will never be forgotten," the post said. 

On Saturday, the FFA and agriculture program hosted a plant sale to support Taryn Morgan's family. Her greenhouse was "emptied for the summer, and every single plant found a new home with loving members of our community." 

"What started as a simple effort turned into something so much bigger," the Upper Dauphin Area Future Farmers of America and Agricultural Program said in a Facebook post on Sunday. "It became a reflection of just how many lives Mrs. Morgan touched."

According to a post on Facebook from the school district in November 2024 after it hired Taryn Morgan, the couple had three children, and Taryn Morgan had been an educator for more than 20 years. 

"In her free time, Mrs. Morgan loves to read, bake, and landscape. She loves all foods except tomatoes and mushrooms," the post added.