She got hurt, the parent said. In that case, the student killed Kayla Rolland as a teacher was lining up children in a hallway for a trip to the library. We are ensuring that everyone is safe, we are ensuring that everyone is accounted for," said Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones. Gov. 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. - weapon; Shutterstock ID 352751468; Job: -. "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," Drew said. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. We did not have a situation where someone was going around the school shooting, Chief Drew said. "We have been in contact with our commonwealth attorney and some other entities to help us best get services to this young man," Drew said. Its just tragic were having to deal with this all over again, Mr. Eley said. 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. Saturday afternoon, James Madison University confirmed that the teacher involved in the shooting was alumna Abby Zwerner. Police have interviewed the 6-year-old and his mother in the wake of Friday's shooting and determined the gun was legally purchased by the boy's mother, Newport News Police Chief In September 2021, a 16-year-old fired several shots in a busy hallway in Heritage High School during lunchtime, injuring two 17-year-olds, NBC affiliate WAVY of Portsmouth, Virginia, reported. But he tells me, Dad, Im not sure if Im ready to go back to that school, he said. Twenty-three states and Washington, DC, have laws in place regarding firearm storage, while eight states have laws mandating owners secure their firearms, according to research by Everytown. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much : 6-year-olds backpack searched before shooting, Small business recovers more than $400k sent to fraudsters, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Do you have access to a safe storage mechanism? he said, adding, Its more preventative., The shooting at Richneck Elementary happened shortly before 2 p.m. on Friday, and unfolded quickly, with officers and medics responding in a matter of minutes, according to the police. 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. I was very nervous just wondering was that one person my son?. Why is there a 7-year-old with a bloody gun? Would you try an airplane cookie flavored doughnut. Some states are misdemeanors, like in Virginia, and in other states they are felonies. It is important that at this time we focus on the welfare of our Richneck students and staff, said Parker. (Billy Schuerman/The Metal detectors are just one strategy, said James Fedderman, the president of the Virginia Education Association, the states teachers union. Police Chief Steve Drew has said the boy shot and wounded the teacher with a handgun in a first-grade classroom on Friday. WAVY spoke with Richneck parent Joselyn Glover who said, My heart stopped. I dont know how to answer that.. 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. Ill be honest, who would be prepared for a 6-year-old to bring a loaded weapon to school and shoot their teacher?. Richneck has about 550 students who are in kindergarten through fifth grade, according to the Virginia Department of Educations website. Biden surveys Ida cleanup in, Newsfeed Now: UPS driver spreads joy with TikTok, Parents used restrains on Surry Co. toddler: warrants, Overnight house fire displaces 3 in Pungo, Youngkin knocks Va. schools over maniacal focus, NN superintendent talks safety after Richneck shooting, Judge denies class action status for fired Twitter, NC Coast Guard crew helps in rescue off coast of, NN man charged with murder in death of Williamsburg, Jury awards Army Lt. $3.6k in civil suit against, Dozens of NN parents, teachers speak out on school, Director: Recent water bills in Chesapeake check, New leadership at NN school where teacher was shot, Supt. Metal detectors are used randomly throughout the school district, Parker said. According to Mr. Garcia, the superintendent said that the childs backpack had been searched when the child arrived at school around 11:30 a.m., about two and a half hours before the shooting. "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.". Whether the boy's parents will be charged will be determined in consultation with the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, Drew said. And I told him the only thing we can do in this situation is try. The report recommends states without such laws consider adopting them to reduce gun-related suicides, homicides and unintentional injuries and death among youth. "There was no physical struggle or fight. Parents, teachers blast Newport News school board, administration after shooting. Before Fridays incident, shootings at two other schools in the Newport News Public Schools system had shaken the community. A motive remains under investigation. 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 We listened and we continue to work to improve current systems and processes to help better manage extreme behaviors that adversely affect the culture and climate in schools, he wrote. The boy struck the employee but did not fire another shot, the police said. In response to this months incident, the superintendent had announced that the district would install metal detectors in every school building, and he promised to solicit ideas from teachers for making schools safer and to review student discipline records. Schools have also come under scrutiny for their responses before attacks, such as in the 2021 shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan. Virginia law prohibits leaving a loaded gun where it is accessible to children under 14, a crime that is punishable as a misdemeanor. U.S. Police respond to a shooting at Richneck Elementary School, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 in Newport News, Va. 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. (Photo by Jay Paul/Getty Images). Come on, think about it. Police said in a statement that Drew met with her and her family Saturday morning. Its a little bit more of a flexible policy in that it might allow a gun owner to store a gun in a way that sort of best meets their needs, said Crifasi. 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.. Less than two months later, Demari Batten, 18, fatally shot Justice Dunham, 17, in the parking lot of Menchville High School after a football game against Woodside High School, also in the same school system, according to WAVY. She noted that metal detectors had been found to reduce the amount of contraband, but not directly prevent gun violence., The hardening of schools also comes with considerable risks, she added, including to Black and Hispanic children who are already surveilled more frequently than their white peers.. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. When a 6-year-old boy shot and killed a classmate in Michigan in 2000, Genesee County Prosecuting Attorney Arthur Busch didnt go after the boy, but after those who provided access The school has been closed since the shooting, and no timeline was given for reopening. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But school shootings by a suspect so young are relatively rare. School Searched 6-Year-Olds Backpack Before Newport News Shooting, Officials Say, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/us/newport-news-shooting-gun-search.html. 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. They said that the district had these machines at some schools but that they were unused. Still, he said, there were ways to limit access even with guns in the home. 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. If the pediatrician feels comfortable asking: Do you have a firearm in the house? They searched his backpack the same day as the shooting but didnt find the weapon, he said. Police gather at the scene of a shooting in Newport News, Virginia, on January 6, 2023. On Tuesday night, the questions were far broader, as current and former district employees and parents questioned the districts priorities and response to the violence. 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. In that incident, a student fired several shots in a busy hallway. So many people wanted to speak publicly that after repeatedly extending the 30-minute public comment period, the school board postponed its other business entirely and devoted the evening to comments. The shooting happened on Friday, Dec. 6 at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News around 2 p.m. TRENDING: 'I just wanted to throw up': Parents react to shooting at Richneck Elem. A young student cannot purchase their own gun, which means they have to seek it from an adult. The gun, which still held bullets, was on the floor when the police arrived. David Riedman, the founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database, which tracks U.S. shootings on school grounds dating to 1970, said shootings by a child on a campus are extremely rare. I was freaking out. As a pediatrician, Andrews said in recent years she has focused on making it more acceptable in her workplace to ask the parents of children during checkups if they have firearms in the home and if they are securely stored. NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) A man has died following a shooting Wednesday night in Newport News. Since 1970, more than 200 employees have been shot on school properties, according to the database. 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. In September 2021, a 15-year-old fired shots in the hallway of Heritage High School during a lunchtime fight. Abigail Zwerner was wounded Friday by a 6-year-old student but led other students to safety, police said. Police assisted with reuniting parents with students at the Richneck gym. Drew called the investigation "unprecedented" Monday. In an interview last week, Busch said hes been surprised by the repeated use of intentional by Newport News police. Anyone can read what you share. Metal detectors and clear backpacks are more common in schools where a large majority of students are children of color, according to federal data. In some states, you can be charged if your child gets hold of your gun, Very rarely are people actually held accountable when someone who is unauthorized, like a child, gains access to their firearms and uses them to harm themselves or someone else, Crifasi explained. NNPD also reports her condition has improved; Chief Drew met with the victim and her family Saturday morning. Gov. He pointed to other tactics, such as locking doors and installing security cameras, and urged a focus on mental health and conflict resolution. Virginia law prohibits leaving a loaded gun where it is accessible to children under 14, but in contrast to some other states, such as Oregon and Massachusetts, there is not a broad law that requires all guns to be safely stored in homes. But first, the police said, she paused and looked back. Our modular battery pack designs and product configurations allow us to rapidly deliver customized solutions for superior performance and reliability, no matter the application. Dont buy a teeth whitening gel before reading these reviews. 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. Board members, you have lost your way, and you have lost our confidence, said Colleen Renthrope, who said she had two children in the district who are terrified during active shooter drills and who are forced to attend school where there is no real discipline of students who misbehave. NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Metal detectors will be installed in every school in the Virginia city where a 6-year-old boy shot and wounded his teacher last week, school officials said Thursday. And speakers repeatedly charged that the district cared more about keeping its official discipline statistics low than properly handling students who act out. A man is dead following a shooting in Newport News Wednesday night, according to police. Fifteen states and Washington, DC have child access prevention laws, which generally stipulate an individual will be held liable if they did not securely store a firearm accessed by a minor, according to Everytown. There were 16 to 20 students in the classroom when the gun was fired, Drew said. 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. The Newport News school board is set to address the incident at Richneck Elementary School in which a 6-year-old allegedly shot a teacher. The wounded teacher went to the school office and said call 911 before collapsing, a witness said. Now, the school will install metal detectors. 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