Virginia Teacher Shooting: School Officials May Have Known a 6-year-old Had a Gun

By Jaslin On Jan 14, 2023

According to the Associated Press, school administrators in Virginia were aware that a little kid, just six years old at the time, may have been in possession of a gun before he used it to shoot his teacher. The assertion was made by the superintendent of the school district.

A kid at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, who was only 6 years old at the time, brought a gun to school with him at the beginning of January and used it to shoot his teacher, Abigail Zwerner, who was 25 years old at the time.

Parents were informed by Superintendent George Parker during an online conference that took place on Thursday evening that a school official had been contacted about the gun prior to the incident that resulted in the shooting.

At least one administrator was notified of a possible weapon in the timeline that we’re reviewing and was aware that that student had — that there was a potential that there was a weapon on campus,’ he reportedly told the parents, according to WAVY-TV. ‘At least one administrator was notified of a possible weapon in the timeline that we’re reviewing and was aware that there was a potential that there was a weapon on campus.

It was reported that only parents were allowed to participate in the online conference; nevertheless, the broadcaster was able to join the discussion with the help of a worried parent. The return of Virginia legislators to session brings with it discussions about taxes and abortion.

During the discussion, it was not made clear how school officials discovered the gun or why they did not confiscate it immediately after they found out about it. Chief Steve Drew of the local police department has stated that the shooting was carried out on purpose.

He had previously disclosed that the youngster had secreted the firearm inside a backpack before bringing it into the school. According to the chief, the boy had used the gun that belonged to his mother during the incident.

According to WTOP, the firearm had been acquired in a lawful manner. Lisa Surles-Law, the head of the school board, announced earlier on Thursday that the district would put metal detectors in all of its schools, starting with Richneck Elementary School.

It is anticipated that Ms. Zwerner will make a full recovery following the shooting. The fact that the educator continued to lead her other children to safety and made sure they were secure before seeking aid for herself led to her being hailed as a hero by the general public after it was discovered that she had been shot.

During a news conference held on Monday, Mr. Drew said of Ms. Zwerner, “I believe she did save lives because I don’t know what else might have happened if those kids would have stayed in that room,” referring to the fact that the children had not left the room.