Police say a 6-year-old boy intentionally shot his teacher at school when she was about to confiscate the gun. The teacher has been hailed as a hero for warning the other children to flee. She suffered a life-threatening gunshot wound.
Teacher intentionally shot by 6-year-old boy at Virginia school
First-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, 25, was about to confiscate a gun from a 6-year-old student last Friday when the boy pulled the trigger, according to Brittaney Gregory, whose son was in the class, as told to the Washington Post.
The shooting took place at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, around 2 PM on Friday.
The shooting left the teacher with a life-threatening gunshot wound, but as of Monday, she was listed in serious but stable condition at Riverside Regional Medical Center, the New York Post reported.
The teacher is being hailed as a hero for warning the other students to flee when the shooting took place. When the teacher told the children to run, they fled to another classroom and remained under lockdown, according to one of the students.
None of the other children in the first-grade class nor any other students at the school were injured.
Schools Superintendent George Parker III said metal detectors are used randomly throughout the school district. It was unclear how the gun invaded detection.
Cops: “Not an accidental shooting”
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew told reporters the shooting resulted from a fight and was “not an accidental shooting.” It was unclear what sparked the fight or how the boy managed to get ahold of the weapon.
The chief said the boy was taken into custody, and no one else was involved in the incident, CBS reported.
According to the chief, the handgun was used in an altercation, and police are looking into where it came from.
“This was not a situation where we had a student, or any other individuals, going up and down the halls actively firing in a long shooting incident,” the chief said. “Because of the ongoing nature of the investigation, we will not be releasing any further information at this time.”
A kid brought bullets to school week prior
A grandmother of one of the students told the Daily Mail that a student brought “shiny gold bullets” to school last week. It was unclear if it was the same 6-year-old who was taken into custody after the shooting. The grandmother, who requested anonymity, said the child had allegedly “brought the bullets to school last week and said he would bring his gun.”
A parent informed the school. Officials allegedly replied it was a nerf bullet, but the parent said, “nerf bullets aren’t shiny and gold.” She wrote on Facebook that “a parent told the school and they did nothing – now look.”
What will happen to the 6-year-old boy?
The boy was taken into custody, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said.
Andrew Block, an associate professor at the University of Virginia School of Law and the former director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice, told the Washington Post that the “infancy defense” will come into play, which protects people under age 7, stating they do not have the ability or mental state to form the intent to commit a crime.
“As a practical matter, it would be next to impossible to prosecute a 6-year-old, no matter how serious,” Block said. “The bigger barrier, presuming the prosecution could overcome that, is all defendants have to be competent to stand trial.”
“That means you have to understand the nature of legal proceedings against you and assist in your own defense,” Block continued. “There’s no way a 6-year-old would meet that criteria.”
Adults could face charges
However, block noted that an adult could face misdemeanor charges if the pistol came from a home where the child lives. Under Virginia state laws, guns must be secured from kids under the age 14.
