New details emerge in the case against a Virginian school district
POSTED February 27, 2023
Richneck Elementary School administration was warned at least four times before a 6 year old shot his teacher. It is believed that the young boy took his mother’s handgun and hid it in his backpack. This information is at the heart of the current case against the school district in Richmond, VA.
Abigail Zwerner’s lawyer, Diane Toscano, announced that on Zwerner’s behalf, she is filing a lawsuit against the school district. Zwerner and others allegedly warned the school four times about the student’s behavior and her suspicions. The lawyer explained the timeline of events as this:
- The teacher went to the school’s administration around 11:30 AM that day and stated that the student was threatening other children in the class. They did not remove the student or check to see what was happening.
- During recess at 12:30 PM, a teacher searched the boy’s bag and told a school administrator that she believed the student hid the gun in his pocket and took it out to recess. The administrator then stated that the boy has little pockets and said it was impossible.
- At 1 PM, a third teacher went to the school administration, claiming that a student was crying after another student showed her a gun at recess. The girl said the student threatened her life if she told.
- Lastly, a 4th person asked permission to search the boy and was denied due to the school day being almost over. An hour later, Zwerner was shot.
The teacher was shot through her hand and into her chest. She ushered the rest of the students out of the classroom after being shot. Another teacher entered the room and restrained the boy until police arrived. She was then taken to the hospital where she remained in critical condition. Two weeks later, a hospital spokesperson confirmed that she was now home on bedrest, getting help from friends and family.
A week before the students were allowed back to school on January 30th, the vice-principle of the school resigned. The principal was later removed from her position. She still works for the public school system, but her role is unclear.
The students must wear clear backpacks provided by the school and go through metal detectors everyday. If a student brings a lunch box, it is subject to being searched. An incident changed the way these children will go to school for the rest of their adolescent years.
UPDATE: March 9th
It has been almost three months since a Virginian teacher was shot by a six-year old student. Howard Gwynn is the prosecutor for this case and has stated that the six year old will not be facing any criminal charges. Although charges for young children are not prohibited in Virginia, the prosecutor stated that the child would not understand the trial or be able to provide sufficient information in his defense. Gwynn said, “We don’t believe the law supports charging a six-year old with a criminal offense as serious as this one.” He also mentioned that his objective is not to do something as quickly as possible, but rather to get the facts and understand what happened. Gwynn has not yet decided whether the adults involved, including the parents, will be liable for the child’s actions.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-charges-6-year-old-teacher-shot-virginia-newport-news-prosecutor/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/09/boy-shot-teacher-criminal-charges-newport-news-abigail-zwerner
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/6-year-old-shot-teacher-newport-news-wont-face-criminal-charges-prosec-rcna70794
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/principal-virginia-school-6-year-old-shot-teacher-removed-students-ret-rcna68134
https://abcnews.go.com/US/school-board-decide-fate-superintendent-after-6-year/story?id=96654019
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/teacher-shot-6-year-old-texted-dire-warning-loved-one-was-wounded-sour-rcna67290
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/06/us/newport-news-school-shooting-virginia.html
https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/19/us/virginia-school-shooting/index.html+