Wounded Virginia Teacher Led Pupils to Safety After 6-year-old Shot Her: The elementary school teacher in Virginia who, according to authorities, was shot on purpose by a 6-year-old pupil is being hailed as a hero for saving lives by guiding her pupils out of the classroom even while she was hurt.
According to Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew, Abigail Zwerner was hit on Friday while she was instructing her class. Drew stated that the 6-year-old “displayed a handgun, pointed it towards her, and fired one bullet.” “There was no actual fighting or conflict. She was instructing the students in her class.
He claimed that despite the fact that Zwerner’s hand was shot through and her upper chest was wounded, “she was nevertheless able to get all of her kids out of that classroom.” She “checked on the safety of each and every one of those students.”
While Drew admitted he did not know the student’s thoughts prior to the shooting, he said the student intentionally shot Zwerner, 25. Because I am unsure of what may have happened if those children had remained in that room, “I feel she did save lives.”
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According to Drew, there were 16 to 20 students there when the gun was fired. On Monday, Zwerner’s health was listed as stable. At Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, a first-grade classroom was shot, but no students were hurt, and a 6-year-old was brought into custody on Friday.
According to Drew, investigators found a 9 mm Taurus gun, a rucksack, a cellphone, and a spent shell case. Drew had stated that a round was discharged after an altercation involving a 6-year-old pupil, the teacher, and the student who did possess a pistol.
Following the shooting, a school employee entered the classroom and detained the child until the police could come, according to Drew. On Monday, Drew referred to the inquiry as “unprecedented.” He claimed the kid’s house was where the gun was taken. According to Drew, the boy’s mother had legitimately purchased it.
Drew claimed that following the incident, police conferred with a number of organizations, such as the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, and programs for children’s welfare. According to Drew, the youngster was examined in a hospital.
The child was given a court-ordered temporary custody order and is “now undergoing care at a medical facility,” according to Drew. He stated that the probe is ongoing. In consultation with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, it will be decided if the boy’s parents will face charges, Drew added.
Shootings by children on campus are incredibly uncommon, according to David Riedman, the creator of the K-12 School Shooting Database, which analyses shootings in schools across the United States going back to 1970.
“This is the 17th shooting in a school involving a child under 10 years old. A 6-year-old rarely pulls the trigger, he said. Riedman noted that the incident was quite comparable to the 2000 shooting death of a classmate in Michigan by a 6-year-old. In that incident, a teacher was lining up students in a hallway for a trip to the library when a student shot and killed Kayla Rolland.
He asserted that shootings involving children are totally avoidable. Riedman added, “This is a horrible scene because it’s absolutely avoidable. “Since the young student is unable to acquire a pistol on their own, they must ask an adult for one. If an adult had properly secured the pistol, which this pupil was unable to obtain on their own, the shooting would not have taken place.
The database shows that over 200 staff have been shot on school grounds since 1970. They consist of 18 bus drivers, 59 other members of the school staff, 44 principals or assistant principals, and 167 teachers. Prior to Monday, Zwerner’s identity as the injured teacher was not officially acknowledged by police, city, or school system officials.
She was recognized as Abby Zwerner, a graduate of James Madison University. Almost 200 miles northwest of Newport News, JMU President Jonathan R. Alger stated in a statement that the institution was “deeply grieved by the reported tragic shooting of JMU alumna Abby Zwerner.”
In a statement, the police claimed that Drew had visited with her and her family on Saturday morning. She had been stabilized, according to the police department and Riverside Regional Medical Center, where the instructor was receiving treatment.
According to the police statement, “She has improved.” We won’t be disclosing any additional information at this time due to the continuing nature of the inquiry. Due to his young age, the 6-year-old student was not officially identified.
This week, Richneck was off-limits to pupils, according to officials. George Parker III, the superintendent of Newport News Public Schools, stated at the media conference last week, “I’m in amazement, in disbelief, and I’m disheartened.”
At the news conference on Monday, Parker said he had a virtual meeting with teachers to obtain their feedback on security measures in the district and planned to host a town hall for the locals.
He asserted that “in no way do I believe that we were entirely prepared for a 6-year-old student to bring a gun to school… and shoot his teacher.” There is much to learn from this and plenty to unpack.
The massacre is “yet another example of needless violence harming our public schools,” according to James J. Federman, president of the Virginia Education Association, the organization that represents many teachers in the state’s public schools. The town has been jolted by gunshots at two other Newport News Public Schools before Friday’s tragedy.
Two 17-year-olds were hurt in September 2021 when a 16-year-old opened fire in a packed hallway at lunchtime at Heritage High School, according to NBC station WAVY of Portsmouth, Virginia. The shooter received a 10-year prison term, the broadcaster reported.
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After a football game against Woodside High School, which is part of the same school system, less than two months later, Demari Batten, 18, fatally shot Justice Dunham, 17, in the Menchville High School parking lot, according to WAVY.
According to the district website, Newport News Public Schools, which serves 26,500 students, offers three early learning centers, 24 elementary schools, seven middle schools, and five high schools.