Virginia School Chief ‘in Disbelief’ After Teacher Shot by Student, 6: A first-grade boy intentionally shot his teacher in a shooting that was condemned by the superintendent of the public school system in Newport News, Virginia. Superintendent George Parker expressed his “disappointment” and “horror” at the incident that left a Richneck elementary school teacher with “life-threatening injuries” during a press conference.
The injured first-grade teacher was named Abby Zwerner in a report Saturday by the local television news station WTKR, which cited numerous unnamed sources. Parker stated on Saturday that the shooting demonstrated the necessity for “educating our youngsters and ensuring their safety.”
“We need the community’s help, ongoing support, to ensure that weapons are not accessible to youth, and I know I keep saying this, but we need to keep the guns out of the hands of our young people,” he continued.
“Access to guns is outside of my control. My teachers are powerless to restrict access to guns. Our children learned about gun violence and how it may affect not only the home, family, and community but also the school environment.
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Richneck Elementary will be closed through at least Monday, according to Parker, as it deals with “the emotional wellness of our employees and our students.” According to Newport News police chief Steve Drew, the teacher, identified as Zwerner, was shot in a classroom and was making “some recovery” as of Friday afternoon.
The six-year-old youngster accused of shooting his teacher was taken into custody by police. To help us best provide services to this young kid, we have been in communication with [local prosecutors] and some other institutions, said Drew, who described the shooting as “not… an accidental shot.”
The incident did not result in any additional injuries, and after the campus was pronounced safe once more, students were released to their parents. Police reported that it was unclear at the time how the young suspect got his hands on the weapon.
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Six-year-olds cannot be tried as adults under Virginia law, according to the Associated Press. If they are found guilty of any criminal accusations brought against them, they are also regarded as being too young to be placed in the custody of the juvenile justice system. However, a juvenile judge has the authority to revoke parental custody of such a child and hand that child over to the state social services agency.