Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew called the shooting of a Virginia teacher by a 6-year-old student an unprecedented situation and said the child brought a legally purchased handgun to school in his backpack.
First-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner, 25, was shot by the student on Jan. 6 in a nonaccidental shooting at Richneck Elementary School while providing class instruction, Drew said during a press conference Monday.
After being shot, Zwerner made sure her students, 16 to 20 children, were out of the classroom and safe before heading to the administration office to be given first aid, Drew said."I believe she did save lives because I don't know what else might have happened if those kids would have stayed in the room," Drew said.
Upon arrival, the 6-year-old boy was being physically restrained by a school employee that came into the room after the gun was fired. Police took the boy, who was combative and had struck the employee, and placed him in custody in a police vehicle. "I wish that we never had to have [the question] asked: 'How does a 6-year-old know how to use a firearm?'" Drew said."I don't know that I could give you an adequate answer."
Officers immediately began shepherding all elementary students into the gymnasium upon their arrival and were"bonding and [trying] to make the situation that we're dealing with the best that we could," Drew said. The identification process and reunification of students with their parents took three hours, school Superintendent George Parker said.
A town hall will be set up for parents to share their concerns, Parker said. It was unknown at the time of publishing when school operations at the elementary school would start back up.
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