In September 2021, two 17-year-olds were injured in a shooting at Heritage High School; two months later, a 17-year-old was killed outside Menchville High School. Parents, teachers blast Newport News school board, administration after shooting. The school system sent information to Richneck families in a phone call and email, and posted it to social media about an hour after the incident. Police, city and school district officials had not publicly named Zwerner as the teacher who was wounded before Monday. Antonio Planas is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. The shooting at Richneck Elementary School on Jan. 6 prompted school officials to install metal detectors at all school buildings in the district. NEWPORT NEWS, VA - JANUARY 07: Police tape hangs from a sign post outside Richneck Elementary School following a shooting on January 7, 2023 in Newport News, Virginia. Jagdish Khubchandani, a professor of public health at New Mexico State University who has studied school violence, pointed to research that found that children under 10 were as likely as older children to know where guns were stored in the home. Police are seeking answers as they investigate the events leading up to the January 6 shooting at Richneck Elementary school, wounding a 25-year-old elementary school teacher identified by officials as Abigail Zwerner. investigate the events leading up to the January 6 shooting, who could face charges at the end of the investigation, a report released on Tuesday by the RAND Corporation, According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, a one-year-old girl was fatally shot and another child was injured, an eight-year-old boy was shot and killed, a mother of three in Florida was charged with manslaughter. "There is a lot to learn here and a lot to unpack. The growth comes as other security measures such as panic buttons and locked classroom doors have also become more common. Gastineau is also an activist for the Be SMART program, a framework to help normalize conversations and educate adults about secure firearm storage. According to dispatch, the call for the shooting came in around 8:34 p.m. at the Fast, informative and written just for locals. Speaking at the news conference on Monday, Chief Drew seemed at a loss for words when asked how a 6-year-old boy knew how to use a firearm. The bullet struck her hand and chest, and she was rushed to the hospital, while the boy was taken into custody. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House in Washington, on Friday, June 24, 2022, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Police chief Steve Drew confirmed to us that a 6-year-old first grade student has been identified as the shooting suspect at a 5:30 p.m. press conference. NEWPORT NEWS, Va. Abigail Zwerner was in the middle of a routine lesson at Richneck Elementary School last week when, the police said, a boy in her class, just 6 years old, pulled out a handgun at his desk, pointed it at his teacher and fired. Jacari Taylor was 16 years old when a judge sentenced him to 10 years for the shooting. A young student cannot purchase their own gun, which means they have to seek it from an adult. Newport News Police say a six-year-old allegedly shot Abigail Zwerner, a 25-year-old teacher, during the school day on January 6. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Chief Drew confirmed there was one location where a gunshot was fired, and evidence was recovered from that location. Metal detectors are just one strategy, said James Fedderman, the president of the Virginia Education Association, the states teachers union. There are key differences between child access prevention laws and safe storage laws, and the provisions of each vary widely from state to state. U.S. Police tape hangs from a sign post outside Richneck Elementary School following a shooting on January 7, 2023 in Newport News, Virginia. They're all safe in there. NEWPORT NEWS, VA - JANUARY 07: Police tape hangs from a sign post outside Richneck Elementary School following a shooting on January 7, 2023 in Newport News, Virginia. I believe she did save lives, because I dont know what else might have happened.. Anyone can read what you share. Statistics in the U.K. for crime is zero for guns, why is it so bad? She has improved, police said in the statement. The unusual shooting has reverberated around the country, stirring familiar fears in an era of repeated school shootings, while raising new, complicated questions about how to ensure safety when even the youngest children can bring a gun to school. At a news conference on Monday, the police said the boy had retrieved the handgun legally purchased by his mother from home, put it in his backpack and brought it to school. It is unclear who notified the employee, what information was available or what kind of search was conducted. My thoughts go out to all families and first responders., Sen. Tim Kaine also issued a statement, saying, Im monitoring this situation closely and praying for the safety of the students, teachers, staff, and first responders at Richneck Elementary School.. NNPD also reports her condition has improved; Chief Drew met with the victim and her family Saturday morning. Campbell Robertson contributed reporting. Newport News police say that at 8:34 p.m., officers responded to reports of shots fired near Oak and Hampton avenues. If you have any information about this case, you can submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-888-LOCK-U-UP, downloading the P3 tips app to a mobile device, or visitingwww.P3tips.comand submitting a tip. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Teacher talking again after being shot by 6-year-old Newport News student, sources confirm. When these shootings happen, theres so much despair, theres so much tragedy and fear that can ripple across communities, said Gastineau, Giving people a place to go and look for something they can do is so important.. Only then did Ms. Zwerner, 25, stagger into the hallway and toward the office to find help. Abby Zwerner suffered life-threatening Last June, a one-year-old girl was fatally shot and another child was injured after an eight-year-old boy accidentally shot them while playing with his fathers gun in Florida. / CBS News. And Nicole Cooke, a school librarian who was districtwide teacher of the year in 2022, said teachers are not respected in Newport News schools. Some states are misdemeanors, like in Virginia, and in other states they are felonies. Metal detectors in every building is a nice start, but the most effective solution is for staff and teachers to be listened to and supported when they report dangerous behaviors and threats, said James Graves, president of the Newport News Education Association. "In no way do I believe that we were fully prepared for a 6-year-old student to bring a gun to school and shoot his teacher," he said. They include 167 teachers, 44 principals or assistant principals, 59 other school staffers and 18 school bus drivers. 6-year-old who allegedly shot Va. teacher used gun legally purchased by mom, police say. I dont know how to answer that.. Six percent of public schools reported using metal detectors for all or most students on a daily basis, according to a recent survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, up from 2 percent in the 2017-18 school year. Before Fridays incident, shootings at two other schools in the Newport News Public Schools system had shaken the community. But unlike some other states, such as Oregon and Massachusetts, there is not a broad law that requires all guns to be safely stored in homes. In 2022, there were 60 shootings at K-12 schools, a CNN analysis found. Its important to frame the issue as not just keeping yourself and your family member safe in your home, but making sure that the guns you own dont fall into the hands of people who shouldnt have them and might use them to harm other people, she said. Metal detectors and clear backpacks are more common in schools where a large majority of students are children of color, according to federal data. The shooting happened shortly after 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) at Richneck Elementary School in the city of Newport News, Chief Steve Drew said. Im in awe, and Im in shock, and Im disheartened, George Parker III, the superintendent of Newport News Public Schools, said at the media briefing last week. Ms. There were 16 to 20 students in the classroom when the gun was fired, Drew said. Richneck Elementary serves more than 550 students; more than half of them are Black and Hispanic, and about a quarter are white. Volunteers for BE Smart have urged school boards in states such as Texas, California and Arkansas to enact secure storage notification policies. The school was put on lockdown around 2 p.m. as police responded to reports of a shooting. NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) A man has died following a shooting Wednesday night in Newport News. Eliza Fawcett and Tim Arango contributed reporting. This was a gun that this student could not get on their own, and if an adult had properly secured it, the shooting would have never happened.. I'm only here because my husband was in the military or otherwise, I would not have chosen this country," the mother declared. Under Virginia law, its a misdemeanor if an adult leaves a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a way it could endanger a child under the age of 14. Several speakers said students who act out, disrespect teachers and get into fights suffer no consequences. Teacher shot by 6-year-old student hailed as a hero, was intentionally shot by a 6-year-old student. But now, he said, some steps taken at high schools, like metal detectors, may need to be explored. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In that incident, a student fired several shots in a busy hallway. She turned around to make sure that every one of those students was safe, said Steve Drew, the chief of police in Newport News, Va., who described Ms. Zwerners actions as heroic and said she was in stable condition. A 6-year-old student shot a teacher during an altercation at a Virginia elementary school on Friday, police said. Police said her 6-year-old student fired a single round as Zwerner was in the middle of a lesson. States with weaker gun laws have higher rates of firearm related homicides and suicides, study finds. I was freaking out. The wounded teacher went to the school office and said call 911 before collapsing, a witness said. After the shooting, Drew said, police consulted with various agencies, including the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, and services for children's welfare. She said she served on an advisory committee and was repeatedly disrespected by the superintendent. We feel as though we do not matter.. The campaign was launched in 2015 by Moms Demand Action, which has been fighting for gun safety measures since the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Last June, for example, a mother of three in Florida was charged with manslaughter after her two-year-old son got hold of an unlocked handgun and fatally shot his father in their home, CNN previously reported. But more fundamentally, a series of speakers said metal detectors are not enough to address the districts underlying problems. Ill be honest, who would be prepared for a 6-year-old to bring a loaded weapon to school and shoot their teacher?. School board members listened without responding to the substance of any of the public comments. Gov. The news that an employee had searched the backpack raised questions about the adequacy of the schools response, in a case that has already drawn significant attention because of the childs young age, which has brought a new level of concern to the charged debate over guns and school safety. Newport News School Shooting: A 6-year-old boy at an elementary school shot his teacher with a gun that was legally purchased by the childs mother. out of the hands of people deemed dangerous, the growing ways that schools have amped up security, struck down a restrictive gun control law, according to the National Center of Education Statistics. Many communities across the nation are familiar with the traumatic effects of school shootings, which have become exceedingly common in the US compared to any other country. Newport News is a city of about 185,000 people in southeastern Virginia known for its shipyard, which builds the nation's aircraft carriers and other U.S. Navy vessels. Police assisted with reuniting parents with students at the Richneck gym. Biden announces aggressive new, Newsfeed Now: Biden to launch new plan against COVID-19, Newsfeed Now: Health experts concerned about COVID-19, Newsfeed Now: Pres. He said a survey conducted last May of teachers and staff found that 60 percent of respondents said building administrators address negative student behaviors, and 69 percent said school administrators work to maintain a safe learning environment. A motive remains under investigation. Police Chief Steve Drew has said the boy shot and wounded the teacher with a handgun in a first-grade classroom on Friday. Guns. 2. His 8-year-old son is too young to fully understand what happened at his school, he said, and wants to see his friends again. Newport News Superintendent George Parker III came under fire during a school board meeting Tuesday following the shooting of a teacher by a six-year-old student. The school is located about an hour north of Norfolk. In September 2021, a 15-year-old fired shots in the hallway of Heritage High School during a lunchtime fight. John Eley III, a member of the Newport News City Council, said that Ms. Zwerner was a well-respected educator who went beyond the call of duty to make sure all her childrens needs were met. She comes from a family of educators, he said. States holding gun owners criminally liable for any violation are associated with decreased rates of firearm deaths in children under the age of 14, said Lee, who is one of the authors of the 2019 study. It is a natural part of a childs development to want to learn from and explore their environment, which is why their parents or caretakers are responsible for ensuring their spaces are safe, said Dr. Kelsey Gastineau, a Nashville-based pediatrician and a public health researcher. Even more safe would be having some kind of lock that is biometric, he added, so that only a particular individual could access it, similar to using face or finger technology to log into a cellphone. JMU President Jonathan R. Alger said in a statement that the campus, nearly 200 miles northwest of Newport News, was deeply saddened by the reported tragic shooting of JMU alumna Abby Zwerner.. More states are considering some form of secure storage legislation, and most recently, Illinois passed a law last year, requiring the Department of Public Health to develop and implement a safe gun storage public awareness campaign. School Superintendent Dr. George Parker III said the elementary school will be closed the week of January 9-13. The chief said the teacher, a woman in her 30s, suffered what he described as a life-threatening gunshot wound and was taken to a hospital. Still, he maintained that the shooting was not accidental. After shots were fired, a school employee went into the classroom and restrained the child until police arrived, Drew said. Updated: 2:56 PM MST January 7, 2023 NEWPORT NEWS, Va. A Virginia teacher who was critically injured when she was was shot by a 6-year-old student in Newport News is showing Since 1970, more than 200 employees have been shot on school properties, according to the database. The altercation was between a 6-year-old, the student, who did have the firearm, and the teacher, and then a round was fired, Drew had said. Did you encounter any technical issues? ", "It's a dark day for Newport News," Jones said. MODULAR AND CUSTOMIZABLE AMERICAN-MANUFACTURED LITHIUM-ION BATTERY SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR ENERGY NEEDS. The investigation continues, he said. "The police did an amazing job, they were here very, very quickly along with the sheriffs office. In some rare cases, parents of children who access guns in the familys home are prosecuted. You've got a beautiful country. Child access prevention laws are more flexible, generally saying gun owners must not knowingly store their guns in a place where a child could gain access to them, according to Crifasi. "There was no physical struggle or fight. In the front office, school officials were busy ordering a schoolwide lockdown, having just been told that a shooting had taken place in one of the first-grade classrooms, said Lowanda Sample-Rusk, 55, who was there to pick up her 5- and 7-year-old grandchildren. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. I personally demand that the tears of all the students scared to go through the day in the system you are charged with protecting will haunt you until you make this right, she said, her voice rising. A six-year-old boy has been detained by police after shooting a teacher in the US state of Virginia, officers say. The condition of a Virginia teacher left seriously injured when she was shot by a six-year-old pupil has shown signs of improvement, authorities say. The meeting is set to begin at 5 p.m., and you A teacher was injured in a shooting Jan. 6, 2023, at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, according to police and school officials. , 59 other school staffers and 18 shooting in newport news bus drivers with a handgun in a classroom! Enact secure storage notification policies was 16 years old when a judge sentenced him to 10 for. School and shoot their teacher? evidence was recovered from that location honest, who would be prepared a. 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