(RightIsRight.co) – The recent shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, where a 6-year-old boy shot his first-grade teacher, Abigail Zwerner, has brought to light the serious concerns that educators had about the child’s behavior.
According to reports, Zwerner and other teachers had expressed their fears about the child’s behavior to administrators, but their concerns were either downplayed or ignored.
Zwerner had reportedly asked for support with the child, and expressed concerns about his behavior.
In online messages to Newport News Superintendent George Parker III, teachers wrote, “She had asked for help,” and “Several times.”
The child had a history of throwing furniture and other objects in the classroom, and once even wrote a note to a teacher in which he said he hated her and wanted to set her on fire and kill her. The teacher reported this to school administrators, but they told her to drop it.
Another incident occurred when the student managed to block a teacher and other students from leaving their classroom by barricading the doors. They were only freed after the teacher banged on the door, and a colleague across the hall managed to get it open.
The shooting occurred on January 6th, when the child aimed a 9mm Taurus handgun and opened fire at Zwerner, who was teaching her first-grade class. Zwerner sent her students out of the classroom before collapsing and being rushed to the hospital. She survived the shooting.
It was revealed that at least one school official had been alerted that the boy may have brought a weapon to school hours before the shooting, but none was found after searching his backpack.
The child’s parents have said that the firearm had been “secured” in their home, and that the child suffers from an acute disability.
They added that the week of the shooting was the first week when they were not in class with him, and that they will regret their absence on that day for the rest of their lives.
The shooting is being investigated as “intentional” by Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew.
