A boy shot and wounded his teacher in Newport News, Virginia, on Jan. 6. Police said responding officers found a school employee physically restraining the 6-year-old suspect in the classroom. "On behalf of the family of the child, we continue to pray for Ms. Zwerner and wish her a complete and full recovery. She aimed at the role player with a rubber bullet and was encouraged, she said, that she did not miss. Also, documents show that after Nguyen was brought into a school district office and questioned, he apologized profusely to District administrators, ostensibly acknowledging that he had made a mistake by bringing the firearm to school.. Were they not so paralyzed by apathy they could have prevented this tragedy, Toscano said, adding that administrators didnt call the police, remove the boy from class or place the school under lockdown. Like others in this article, she asked to be identified by her first name, because of school district rules that restrict information about employees carrying firearms. Steve loves to explore the outdoors by hiking the Angeles National Forest and is an amateur bird watcher. The person who searched the backpack didn't find a weapon, according to the superintendent. Parents and students were reunited at a gymnasium, Newport News Public Schools said via Facebook. .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}37923N 763125W / 37.15639N 76.52361W / 37.15639; -76.52361. The program did not include formal training on how implicit bias might affect decision-making. ABC News' Meredith Deliso, Ivan Pereira, Beatrice Peterson and Ben Siu contributed to this report. In Florida, more than 1,300 school staff members serve as armed guardians in 45 school districts, out of 74 in the state, according to state officials. She said she had taken other firearms classes, including concealed carry training, one of the prerequisites to participate in FASTER. More school employees are carrying guns to defend against school shootings. A school resource officer recovered the gun from the student's waistband at Central . To pass, participants must make at least 26 out of 28 shots. It was unclear who conducted the search or how the tip about the weapon was received. When You Give a Teacher a Gun | GQ What it's like for one teacher who already carries a gun All rights reserved (About Us). A 7-year-old . ", On February 16, 2023, another six-year-old child took a gun to a school in Virginia. According to a letter previously released by the shooters family, the gun belonged to the boys mother and they had stored it in a secure location. The school re-opened with additional safety measures in the form of two permanent school division security officers, two metal detectors, doors installed in previously open areas, and all students receiving clear backpacks. The disciplinary action stems from when former Coach Kenneth Miller said he . Richneck Elementary School has remained closed in the meantime. She had registered that the room was no longer safe for her students and escorted them out. Finally, the district argued it has broad powers to craft and enforce a no weapons ban, one that surpasses any peace officers right to carry a weapon onto school grounds. Bond was set at $10,000 and Howard is due back in court on May 1 for a probable cause conference. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.comand follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Police said the sixth-grade preteen girl brought the handgun in her backpack and shot two people inside the school and one outside on May 6 two students and a teacher. Experts say these kind of live scenarios offer more realistic preparation. She did handstands, to check that her gun remained secure. Laws vary by state but often are not specific about how teachers must carry or store guns. When asked about the allegations made by Zwerner, they declined to comment due to the ongoing nature of the investigation. "I just knew when I saw that gun, I had to get the gun.". All three had wounded limbs but survivedand were released from the hospital within a few days. The board voted 5-1 to relieve Parker as superintendent "without cause," effective Feb. 1. She wanted to be sure she could carry her gun safely around students. She had been a teacher for a dozen years and has children of her own. The district will not engage Mr. Miller or his attorneys in a public debate on this matter, but instead will allow the facts to drive the outcome of any related decision.". In fact, it increases the chances that a teachers gun will fall into the wrong hands or discharge unintentionally.. Everybody makes mistakes," she told ABC News America. And while she acknowledged other, important policies could help prevent school shootings, she did not feel she could afford to wait for change. A third teacher told administrators shortly before 1:00 pm that the student had shown another student at recess he had a gun and threatened the child that he would shoot them if they reported it. Of the five deadliest school shootings on record, four in Newtown, Conn., Uvalde, Texas, Parkland, Fla., and Santa Fe, Texas have happened in the last 10 years. We just feel helpless, she said. Abby Zwerner is the best of us, an optimistic, dedicated and caring elementary school teacher who endured the unthinkable; being shot purposely by a 6-year-old student in front of her first grade class while teaching, Toscano said. Its approach aligns closely with an argument that has become a hallmark of the National Rifle Association and the gun lobby: The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun., In this view, teachers are the ultimate good guys.. In 2021, the student allegedly came from behind his teacher, locked his forearms around her neck, and pulled her backward; he was subsequently moved to a different school. In addition, a 6-year-old is too young to be committed to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice if found guilty. A empty basketball court is seen outside Richneck Elementary School, Jan. 7, 2023, in Newport News, Virginia. [30] In May 2023 the family of the shooter claimed that the boy had been diagnosed with ADHD, but had started medication and was meeting academic goals leading to his parents not attending classes with him. Steve Scauzillo has been a journalist for more than 40 years, has worked as a beat reporter, assistant city editor, Opinion Pages Editor, general assignment and transportation/environment writer. Since they cant roll back time and undo the callousness of the bureaucracy, they can do the right thing and admit what went wrong and fix it, she added. Need a hug, she'll hold you for hours, mingling her tears with yours Determination pushed her to act, but tenderness and motherly love not force lifted the gun from the girl's hands to hers.". Fifty-five percent of Colorado voters favored allowing teachers and school officials to carry guns on school grounds, according to a 2015 Quinnipiac poll. But after 19 children and two teachers were killed in Uvalde, Texas, she felt a growing desperation. A teenager has been arrested after a male teacher was stabbed at a secondary school in Gloucestershire. Charges filed against Michigan teacher who brought gun to school The family of the 6-year-old boy accused of shooting a teacher at his Virginia elementary school is speaking out for the first time. Karen Lynch, the extended learning supervisor, is now serving as the administrator at Richneck on special assignment and coordinating the students' return to instruction. [1][15] Zwerner's injuries were initially described as life-threatening, although her condition improved and she was described as "stable" on January 8, 2023,[16] and released from the hospital in mid-January 2023. Toscano revealed new details about the events leading up to the shooting, alleging that school administration was warned that the student had a gun with him at school and had threatened people several times the day of the shooting, but school administrators took no action. My spidey senses always go up on that, if someone is too eager.. "The Virginia Education Association continues to support our member, Abby Zwerner, in every way that we can during her physical and emotional recovery from the shooting at Richneck Elementary School. "I don't feel like I did anything wrong," he said in an interview. Mr. Irvine said the training is meant to focus on risk, not race. No one was injured in that case. In the Newport News case, Police Chief Steve Drew said Friday that the shooting didn't appear to be an accident and that it was isolated to the single victim. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Richneck Elementary School teacher Abigail Zwerner, 25, was the sole victim of the shooting on Jan. 6, 2023, and although she survived, her lawyer Diane Toscano claims that the shooting was entirely preventable if Newport News School District administrators had taken proper measures to investigate and handle the threat. [19] Zwerner later resigned on June 13, 2023. [5][6], Before the shooting, multiple staff members, including Zwerner, told school administrators about the student's conduct and concerns that he may have a weapon on him. The boy's mother also claimed that the boy had accidentally broken Zwerner's phone which had led to the one day suspension, instead of intentionally breaking it. One spent shell casing was recovered at the scene, police said. The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office in February chose not to pursue a second count of possession of a firearm at school, court records show. Six dead and suspect detained in US mass shooting. [3] Richneck Elementary School is an elementary school in Newport News with 550 students. Her presence on the range, firing her pistol under the blazing sun, cut a contrast to the classroom, where she dances to counting songs with 5-year-olds, dollops out shaving cream for sensory activities and wallpapers her classroom with student artwork. Zwerner took a defensive position and raised her hand, and the bullet went through her hand and then into her chest, the chief said. Teacher who brought gun to school sentenced Do those claims stack up? That she was being trained at all spoke to the countrys painful failure to stop mass shootings, and to the heavy responsibilities piled onto teachers catching students up from the pandemic, handling mental health crises in children, navigating conflicts over the teaching of race and gender and now, for some, defending their schools. Man with guns near Obama home entered a Montgomery school for Jan. 6 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/31/us/teachers-guns-schools.html. Teachers are "not supposed to have guns" at the school, school district . Ms Gneiting's brother-in-law, Layne Gneiting, said that when he first heard about the shooting, he thought the teacher's inner "mother bear" had sprung into action to protect the students. India to launch its latest lunar rocket as it moves towards a manned mission to the Moon, Actor Vince Colosimo has tens of thousands in traffic fines wiped by court, Russian general dismissed after accusing top officers of betraying soldiers, Papley boots match-winner as Swans keep season alive with thrilling win over Bulldogs, Private college fined after teenager's death during school trip, Social services body calls for cost-saving energy schemes to be expanded, Penned in by high-rises, these unit ownersfear body corporate law reform could see them forced out. There is also little evidence that school resource officers are broadly effective at preventing school shootings, which are statistically rare. To keep up her training, she goes to the gun range each week, she said. hide caption. Shortly after his arrest in January, Royal Palm Beach High Principal Michelle Fleming informed parents about the accusation and said Krasnicki would not be returning to the school. In an interview with ABC News America this week, Ms Gneiting a maths teacher said she was preparing her Rigby Middle School students for their final exams when she heard the first gunshot down the hall. However, the district argued that the cabinet could be opened by anyone on campus with a master key. The Newport News Police Department was not notified of this information prior to the incident. Newport News police confirmed that his mother had legally purchased the gun. Earlier this month, Newport News School Board Chair Lisa Surles-Law said they have been given approval to purchase 90 walk-through metal detectors, which will be installed in every school across the district, starting with Richneck Elementary School. I get hugs all day long, she said. Oldham County High School teacher dead after shooting in Washington, D.C. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch are investigating a deadly shooting that happened on Wednesday, according to a release. The strategy is fiercely opposed by Democrats, police groups, teachers unions and gun control advocates, who say that concealed carry programs in schools far from solving the problem will only create more risk. This was reportedly in response to the Santa Fe . In one infamous example, a school resource officer present at the high school in Parkland stayed outside during the attack. The judges decision dismissed the claim from Joseph Nguyen, who was taken from his classroom on May 17, 2019, by school officials and San Bernardino County sheriffs deputies after they received a tip about a loaded gun on campus. For at least the third time this year, a 6-year-old has brought a gun The district will also bolster protocols on handling school violence, including implementing a safety stand down and reviewing student conduct and discipline records, according to Surles-Law. After Zwerner was shot, she ushered all of her students out of the classroom, the chief said, adding that she was the last person to leave that class. Newport News school knew child might have gun before shooting: Report The high school shooting has reignited calls for tighter gun laws, with more states considering laws to punish parents if children fire unsecured guns. Teacher shot by 6-year-old in Virginia is showing signs of - NPR Teachers are allowed to carry guns in Texas. Following the shooting, the boy received hospital care and the treatment he needs, according to the letter. A 17-year-old will be charged with weapons offenses after police say he brought a loaded gun to summer school. Jefferson School District Superintendent Chad Martin said at the time that it was the "worst nightmare a school district could encounter". She said she asked the girl, "Are you the shooter?" With teacher shortages affecting schools nationwide, educators share how pay, parents, politics and the pandemic have led some to leave the profession. A juvenile judge would have authority, though, to revoke a parent's custody and place a child under the purview of the Department of Social Services. The District is pleased with the results of the trial. Miller said as they were speaking with her, she became aggressive and hit him with a stapler. She doesnt doubt her ability, she said, but believes the hardest part would be using her firearm on a student. Magazines, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, A Boy, 6, Shot His Teacher. She previously covered the coronavirus pandemic and breaking news. Ex-Pinellas County teacher Betty Jo Soto, 49, was arrested on charges that she brought a gun and knives to Starkey Elementary School on Monday and fried, authorities say. Richneck Elementary School will reopen to all students on Jan. 30. Messages of support for teacher Abby Zwerner, who was shot by a 6 year old student, grace the front door of Richneck Elementary School, Jan. 9, 2023, in Newport News, Va. Teacher of 7-year-old who brought gun to school testifies In 2019, Texas Governor Greg Abbott expanded laws that permit teachers to carry guns on school grounds. But some experts say that targets should show a greater mix of race, gender and age, so as not to reinforce stereotypes or prime the mind to see particular groups as a threat. Because of the student's age, the boy must wait 96 hours before appearing in front of a judge who will determine if he needs continual treatment or what his next step may be, officials said. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Court records show he is represented by a public defender. The boy shot and wounded the teacher in a first-grade classroom on Friday at Richneck Elementary School, according to authorities. ABC News' Meredith Deliso, Caroline Guthrie, Davone Morales, Emily Shapiro and Ben Siu contributed to this report. Shepherd also ordered that Krasnicki notify his employers about his entry into the program, undergo a mental-health evaluation with treatment, complete a firearms-safety course and perform 40 hours of community service. 'I haven't looked back': Meet the young women ditching hair dye and going grey. It is run by the Buckeye Firearms Foundation, a Second Amendment organization that works alongside a major gun lobbying group in Ohio. She was initially hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. A Pinellas teacher brought a gun to school. Was it a political statement? Family of 6-year-old who shot teacher speaks out for 1st time Without guns, there cannot be school shootings. Updated: Jun 20, 2023 / 04:24 PM EDT. The shooting by a 6-year-old student sent a teacher to the hospital. Another program, which requires more training, is used by a smaller number of districts. The lawyers for Chaffey Joint Union High School District also argued that the districts policy against bringing a gun on campus applies to everyone, with the exception of the districts safety officer, Robert McCoy, who had filed an exemption and was granted permission by the district to carry a firearm. Shooting is warranted only if there is an imminent threat to innocent people, he said. Fulton County high school coach seen grabbing student in video fights "I just kept hugging her and loving her and trying to let her know that we're going to get through this together. Arming teachers doesnt make kids safer, said Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, a network of parents fighting for stronger gun laws. Guns in school I love my kids, he said. GA teacher suspended after restraining student with gun Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The educators had come from rural Ohio and as far as Oklahoma for the training program. When the Newport News School District sends a message that teachers are expendable, that this is just a hazard of the job if you teach at Newport News, their response will hover over this school district and this community for decades, Toscano said. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital BELLEVILLE, Ill. (KMOV) - News 4 is working to learn more information after an employee reportedly brought a gun to a Metro East elementary school. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 7/1/2023). To intercept them beforehand, experts recommend mental health support, systems to identify children who may become threats and tighter gun laws, including mandates on safe storage. A 6-year-old student took a handgun from his home, put it in his backpack and brought it to his Newport News, Virginia, elementary school where he allegedly shot and injured a teacher, according to police. Her sentencing was scheduled for October 18. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
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