Officials at the elementary school in Newport News, Virginia, where a first-grade teacher was shot by her six-year-old son, appeared to downplay previous complaints issued by the teacher about the boy, the Washington Post said Saturday.
Abigail Zwerner, 25, reportedly expressed concern and requested help from school officials regarding the boy’s behavior, which apparently included threatening to set a teacher on fire and watch her die.
The topic was dropped, according to messages from fellow teachers obtained by The Post.
Willow Crawford, left, and her older sister Ava, right, join their friend Kaylynn Vestre, center, in expressing their support for Richneck Elementary School first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner during a vigil with candles in his honor at the School Administration Building in Newport News. Virginia, Monday, January 9, 2023.
(AP Photo/John C. Clark)
VIRGINIA’S MOTHER DETAILS THE MOMENTS ALLEGEDLY LEADING UP TO THE 6-YEAR-OLD SHOOTING TEACHER
Zwerner was teaching a first-grade class when the boy pulled out a 9mm pistol owned by his mother and fired at him, hitting her first in the hand that was held in a defensive stance and then in the upper chest.
The 25-year-old, who is now stable, has been praised for escorting all of her students out of the classroom to safety, even after she was shot, as another school employee rushed in and physically restrained the student. kid.
Richneck Elementary School in Newport News has since faced criticism for its handling of the shooting that authorities have deemed “intentional.”
Parents were reportedly already outraged when Newport News Superintendent George Parker III said the school had received a tip that the boy had a gun that day, but was later unable to discover the gun after searching his school backpack.
Police respond to a shooting at Richneck Elementary School, Friday, January 6, in Newport News, Virginia.
(Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)
FAMILY OF 6-YEAR-OLD VIRGINIA STUDENT WHO SHOT HIS TEACHER BREAKS SILENCE, INSISTS GUN WAS SEIZED
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said authorities were not alerted to the tip.
Police and school officials have not responded to questions related to the boy’s behavior, and Fox News Digital was unable to reach Zwerner for comment.
The investigation is ongoing and the boy remains in emergency custody at a medical center following a warrant for his arrest earlier this month.
The student’s family first spoke out this week, saying the gun had been “secured” before the boy brought it to school.
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew, right, and Newport News Superintendent George Parker answer questions about a teacher who was shot by a six-year-old gunman at Richneck Elementary School during a conference Press at the Newport News Public Schools Administration Building in Newport News. , Virginia, on Monday, January 9, 2023.
(Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Our hearts go out to our son’s teacher and we pray for her healing after such an unimaginable tragedy as she selflessly served our son and the children at school,” the boy’s family said in a statement Thursday.
“Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children,” the statement added, though it did not elaborate on how it was “secured.”
Greg Norman and Pilar Arias contributed to this report.
