The teacher, who was taken to the hospital in critical condition, was shot by the student after a confrontation broke out between the two • The 6-year-old was taken into custody. Police Chief: “The shooting was not accidental, we will continue to investigate the incident”
A 6-year-old boy shot a teacher at Rychank Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, Friday afternoon. The teacher, in her 30s, was shot with a single bullet inside the classroom after a confrontation between the two, and her condition is described as critical according to the local police.
Police Chief Steve Drew said the shooting was “not accidental” and that the 6-year-old boy was taken into custody. The police chief also added that the teacher’s injuries are considered life-threatening, but “there has been some improvement in her condition.”
“We have been in contact with our attorney and several other entities to help us get the best service for this young man,” said the police chief, who added that no other students were involved in the incident. “We will continue to investigate, there are questions we would like to ask and find out. I want to know where this weapon came from, and what happened there.”
Dr. George Parker, the city’s superintendent of public schools, announced that classes at the school would not open on Monday. “I’m shocked, and I’m disappointed,” he said at a press conference. “We need to educate our children and we need to protect them. We need community support, continued support, to make sure guns are not available to youth. We need to keep guns out of our children’s hands.”
