Abby Zwerner, a first-grade teacher, was shot by her student in the class. Let us take the time to learn more about her background.
A shooting incident in a Virginia school where a teacher was shot by her six-year-old student shocked everyone.
The shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, severely injured Ms. Zwerner.
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Abby Zwerner Parents: Where Are They From?
Abby Zwerner, who is believed to be in her 20s, graduated from Virginia’s James Madison University in 2020.
Details about her parents or family are yet to be available. Her full name is Abigail Zwerner, per the school site. She taught first grade at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia.
Chief Steve Drew said the student and the teacher in question had known each other in a classroom setting.
Abigail ‘Abby’ Zwerne yelled at students to get to safety. (Source: MEAWWW)
Researcher David Riedman, who set up a database tracking U.S. school shootings from 1970, said it was “not something the legal system is designed or positioned to deal with.”
He shared three other shootings caused by six-year-old pupils; a fatal shooting of a fellow student in Michigan in 2000 and shootings that injured students in Texas in 2011 and Mississippi in 2021.
Mr. Riedman said he only knows one other instance of a younger student causing gunfire at a school, where a five-year-old accidentally discharged a gun at a Tennessee school in 2013.
The elementary school will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday to provide the community “time to heal,” Principal Briana Foster Newton stated.
Is The Virginia Teacher Dead Or Alive?
The Virginia teacher, Abby Zwerner, who was shot by her student shot, is alive. However, she was left seriously injured after the altercation.
Authorities say Zwerner has shown signs of improvement. The teacher suffered life-threatening injuries after the child shot her with a handgun on Friday, January 8.
Mayor Phillip Jones, who took office five days ago, told the BBC that Ms. Zwerner was improving, and her recovery was “trending in a positive direction.”
But Mr. Jones added that she remained in a critical condition following the incident.
Social media users wished Ms. Zwerner a speedy recovery. Her alma mater, James Madison University, sent “prayers and best wishes for her health and recovery.”
Authorities said the school had metal detection facilities, but students were checked randomly, and not every child was inspected.
It is unclear how the child, who remains in Police custody, obtained the gun and why he committed the crime.
Chief Steve Drew only mentioned that the shooting took place after an “altercation” in a first-grade classroom (ages six to seven), did not appear to be “accidental,” and did not involve anyone else.
“We do not have all the answers about how a six-year-old handled a firearm or access a firearm,” Mayor Jones said.
He cited the day as “a dark day in our history and a red flag for the country.”
Abby Zwerner: The Virginia Teacher Hailed As A Hero
Steve Gonzalez, whose child was also present in the classroom, told Fox News that Ms. Zwerner had reacted selflessly after the shooting.
Mr. Gonzalez said, “she screamed at her kids to run away” after being struck by the bullet.
Abby Zwerner is the teacher shot by a six-year-old at Richneck Elementary. (Source: Twitter)
George Parker, School District Superintendent, said the incident showed how we must educate our children and keep them safe.
Officers have also declined to discuss why the student did what he did and what contact they have had with his parents.
Virginia law prevents six-year-olds from being tried as adults. If found guilty, the child would be too young to be committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice’s custody.
However, a judge could revoke the parents’ custody of the boy and transfer him into the supervision of the state.
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