Signs stand outside Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, on Jan. 25, 2023. Police Chief Steve Drew told reporters at a news conference Friday that this was not an accidental shooting. Zwerner recently told NBC her recovery was exhausting but added: I try to have a positive outlook on whats happened and where my futures heading., Of the shooting, she said: I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me.. Meanwhile, Zwerner's $40 million lawsuit is pending. ABC News' Meredith Deliso, Caroline Guthrie, Davone Morales, Emily Shapiro and Ben Siu contributed to this report. Richmond, Va. The Virginia teacher who authorities say was shot by a 6-year-old student is known as a hard-working educator who's devoted to her students and enthusiastic about the profession that runs in her family, according to fellow teachers and city officials. "Every employee who is separating from the school division receives a similar communication," the district said. John Eley III, a former member of the Newport News School Board, identified the first-grade teacher as Abby Zwerner, 25. The family has also said the boy has a severe disability and has had mental health treatment. The administration did not take action or remove the student from the classroom, according to Toscano. The shooting also brought about other changes to Newport News schools and Richneck, where metal detectors were installed. "The teacher then tells that same administrator that she believes the boy put the gun in his pocket before he went outside for recess," Toscano said. About an hour later, the boy pulled the gun out of his pocket, aimed it at Zwerner and shot her, the lawsuit states. The announcement came the same day the school board voted to oust the district's superintendent, as parents and teachers called for accountability in the wake of the shooting. The Newport News Police Department was not notified of this information prior to the incident. The third teacher told the administration that the other student said the 6-year-old had shown the gun to him at recess and threatened to shoot him if he told anybody. Abigail Zwerner, the Virginia teacher who was seriously wounded when police say a 6-year-old student intentionally shot her during class, says her recovery remains grueling. Residents of Newport News hold a candlelight vigil in honor of Richneck Elementary School first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner at the School Administration Building in Newport News, Va., Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. "The teacher then tells that same administrator that she believes the boy put the gun in his pocket before he went outside for recess,"said Diane Toscano, an attorney representing Zwerner, during a news conferenceabout the shooting held at the end of January. "She has worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son. Around 12:30 p.m., a second unidentified teacher went to school administrators and said that she searched the boy's backpack, Toscano said, because the boy was suspected to have a gun. I'm only here because my husband's in the military. "But, you know, for going through what I've gone through, I try to stay positive," said Zwerner, a first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. Some teachers had a different reaction. Sebastian Gonzalez-Hernandez, whose own 6-year-old was also in the classroom during the shooting, praised Zwerner for being so selfless. It's unclear what charges, if any, the 6-year-old will face. A boy shot and wounded his teacher in Newport News, Virginia, on Jan. 6. The 9mm Taurus pistol used in the shooting was legally purchased by the boy's mother, according to police. Abigail Zwerner, the teacher who was shot by a student in a classroom in Newport News, Virginia, earlier this month intends to file a lawsuit against the school board, her lawyer said Wednesday, alleging the shooting could have been prevented by school administrators. 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Auschwitz 70 years on: 92-year-old survivor remembers rape, terror, gas chambers and the men in striped pyjamas Last month, Newport News prosecutor Howard Gwynn said his office will not criminally charge the boy because he is too young to understand the legal system and what a charge means. Toscano alleged that the administration was warned four times by teachers and school employees about the student. She spent . ABC News' Beatrice Peterson, Caroline Guthrie and Davone Morales contributed to this report. The boy who shot Zwerner had used his mother's gun. A six-year-old child used his mother's legally purchased handgun to shoot his teacher at a US school, police said. Before the shooting, one security officer was assigned to Richneck and another elementary school. Students were greeted by a line of police officers, Mayor Phillip Jones, and other adults who gave them high-fives as they walked into the school. An attorney for Abby Zwerner, the first-grade teacher shot and wounded by a 6-year-old studentearlier this month in Newport News, Virginia, said that the administrators of Richneck Elementary School had multiple warnings that the unidentified boy was armed, but "failed to act" on those reports. That means you have to understand the nature of legal proceedings against you and assist in your own defense. The 6-year-old's family released a statement through a spokesperson, saying, "Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children.". Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. First published on January 9, 2023 / 2:52 AM. An attorney for the boys parents has said they were committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children and had tried to do so with the firearm concerned, which belonged to the boys mother. The press conference came hours before the Newport News School Board held a special meeting to vote on a separation agreement with Newport News Public Schools Superintendent George Parker III. He said Saturday that he's only aware of three other shootings caused by 6-year-old students in the time period he's studied. "Some days are not so good days, where I can't get up out of bed. Karen Lynch, a Richneck school's administrator, sent a letter to parents Thursday informing them that the school will remain closed next week. Guns. The boy used his mother's gun, which police said was purchased legally. I was scared it was like my first lockdown and I didnt know what to do, so I just hid under my desk like everybody was, she said during an interview that included her mother, Kasheba Jones. ", Signs stand outside Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, on Jan. 25, 2023. Police said the 9 mm Taurus pistol was legally purchased by the boy's mother. Her attorney, Pamela Branch, has said that Newton was unaware of reports that the boy had a gun at school on the day of the shooting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Zwerner filed her lawsuit in early April, alleging that school officials ignored multiple warnings that the boy had a gun and was in a violent mood that day. We thank her for her courage, grace and sacrifice.". "You know, try to have a positive outlook on what's happened and where my future's heading.". The boy denied it, but refused to provide his backpack to Kovac, the lawsuit states. She is the best teacher and I really hope she pulls through this.. There were three warnings from school employees about the gun and a warning from Zwerner about the student threatening to harm another child, Toscano alleged. He will be relieved of his duties Feb. 1. "We have been cooperating with local and federal law enforcement to understand how this could have happened," the family said. James Graves, who heads the local teachers union, the Newport News Education Association, said he has heard from several who were told that if they weren't ready to come back, they must use their personal leave time or the Family and Medical Leave Act, which provides some employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. But he added: "How do you talk to an 8-year-old about a school shooting? But they failed her miserably that day.. She was in Zwerner's class last year, and told her grandmother she is a great teacher. The first-grade teacher who was shot by her 6-year-old student in Virginia no longer works for the school system that employed her. The family also said the boy has an acute disability and, following the shooting, was receiving the "treatment he needs" under a court-ordered temporary detentionat a medical facility. Virginia first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, who was shot by her 6-year-old student in January, no longer works for Newport News Public Schools (NNPS), though her attorney and the school division dispute whether she was fired or she resigned. The administrator downplayed the report and responded that the boy has little pockets, according to Toscano. The superintendent was fired by the school board after the shooting, while the assistant principal resigned. A trial for those counts is set for August. Some days are better than others, where I'm able to get out of bed and make it to my appointments," said Zwerner, 25, with her left hand bandaged after a recent fourth surgery to help a bone that was severely damaged. Abby Zwerner, 25, was shot about 2 p.m. Friday at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Va. She was listed in serious but stable condition at Riverside Regional Medical Center, the paper reported. The physical scars are healing, she said, including a wound on the side of her body where doctors inserted a chest tube after her lung collapsed. I didn't know what to do. That's what (angers me). Her separation became official Monday. She said her doctors are still uncertain about whether she will be able to use her hand like before. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Your sons school. Shooting During a routine lesson, [9] at approximately 2 p.m. local time on January 6, 2023, [4] the student pointed a 9mm Taurus pistol at Zwerner and then shot at her when she tried to reach out for the weapon. Vestre said he gave Jaxon a hug and "stood back a little teary-eyed and watched him high-five all the police officers and the mayor. The 6-year-old shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner, on Jan. 6. Authorities said it wasnt immediately clear what sparked the argument or how the child managed to get ahold of the weapon. Zwerner was released from the hospital early this week and will continue to receive outpatient treatment, according to a statement released Thursday by the Riverside Health System. She led her students to safety before being taken to hospital, where she stayed for two weeks and through four surgical procedures. "I applaud her. No one has been charged and the investigation is ongoing. This all happened in the school office before first responders were able to get to Zwerner. First published on January 25, 2023 / 12:00 PM. John Eley III, a former member of the Newport News School Board, identified the first-grade teacher as Abby Zwerner, 25. WAVY has obtained the email she received notifying her of her sep Gift Article. Under the modified schedule, one of the boy's parents was required to accompany him during the school day. Updated on: April 3, 2023 / 7:30 PM "We talked through it. / CBS/AP, A first-grade Virginia teacher who was shot and seriously wounded by her 6-year-old student filed a lawsuit Monday seeking $40 million in damages from school officials, accusing them of gross negligence for allegedly ignoring multiple warnings on the day of the shooting that the boy had a gun and was in a "violent mood.". School officials removed the boy from Richneck and sent him to another school for the remainder of the year, but allowed him to return for first grade in the fall of 2022, the lawsuit states. Mon 9 Jan 2023 11.51 EST Last modified on Mon 9 Jan 2023 13.05 EST The Virginia school teacher shot by her six-year-old student was injured after she sought to confiscate the weapon from the. Taylor is facing charges on the state level of felony child neglect and reckless storage of a firearm. NEWPORT NEWS, Va. The mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot a teacher at Virginia's Richneck Elementary School in January pleaded guilty to federal gun charges Monday, and . First published on April 3, 2023 / 11:18 AM. 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. Prosecutors have said the boy, who has not been publicly identified, will not face criminal charges. We've received your submission. Market data provided by Factset. He was placed on a modified schedule "because he was chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them with it," and was cursing staff and teachers, it says. ", VIRGINIA MOM DETAILS MOMENTS THAT REPORTEDLY LED UP TO 6-YEAR-OLD SHOOTING TEACHER. January 9, 2023 / 2:52 AM (modern). Auschwitz Survivors Tell Their Story. 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. In a news conference on Wednesday, Diane Toscano, a defense attorney representing Zwerner, said that Zwerner and several other teachers made reports on Jan. 6 the day Zwerner was shot. "JMU is prepared to support those impacted by this incident now and in the weeks to come," Alger tweeted Saturday. Police have said the boy brought a 9 mm handgun to school and intentionally shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner, as she was teaching her first-grade class. Zwerner was able to evacuate the classroom after it happened and another school employee, who her attorney said was another teacher, restrained the 6-year-old boy. He's missed it," Roe said. The person who searched the backpack didn't find a weapon, according to the superintendent. "Tragically, almost an hour later, violence struck Richneck Elementary School.". Mayor Phillip Jones told the BBC that Ms. Zwerner was released from Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News last week and will continue to receive outpatient treatment, according to Riverside Health System. She doesnt understand it; theres no other communication. The lawsuit alleges that Parker "had no response, refusing even to look up at (Zwerner) when she expressed her concerns.". The 6-year-old, who has not been named publicly, allegedly took a handgun from his home on Jan. 6, put it in his backpack and brought it to Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. Were all thinking about her and hoping she gets better soon. Eric Billet, who has a second-grader and a fourth-grader at Richneck, said that although he's happy with the increased security, he also fears that Richneck could be "slightly overcorrecting" with some of its new policies, including not wanting students to bring in toys or anything that's not considered educational. Zwerner's resignation is yet another development in the aftermath of the shooting, which has reverberated through the shipbuilding city of about 180,000 people near the Atlantic coast. Since then, two metal detection systems have been installed and two security officers have been assigned to the school, said district spokeswoman Michelle Price. ", The boy's family called the shooting "horrific" and noted that they "have been cooperating with local and federal law enforcement to understand how this could have happened. They said it was the first grade, the neighbor told her, she said. In the lawsuit, attorneys for Zwerner say the defendants knew the boy had a history of random violence at school and at home, including an episode in which he strangled and choked his kindergarten teacher. "I walked the building a little while ago, and (the teachers) are very excited to welcome their students back," she said. Newport News police told ABC News that the investigation is ongoing and they do not know when it will be completed. "Physical therapy is not only physically exhausting but mentally exhausting as well. Richneck has about 550 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, according to the Virginia Department of Education's website. Please enter valid email address to continue. The school board said Zwerner has refused to accept workers compensation. "The family was all educators and said she was excited about doing the job," said Eley, who was recently elected to the Newport News City Council. Police said responding officers found a school employee physically restraining the 6-year-old suspect in the classroom. Breit did not respond to an email and a phone call from The Associated Press seeking comment. Other signs along the sidewalks read, "We are praying for you," "You are loved" and "We believe in you.". Zwerner was shot in front of her other first-grade students;police have described the shooting as "intentional." "It was huge to see their friends and everybody being happy," she said. All rights reserved. Abigail Zwerner, the Virginia teacher who was seriously wounded when police say a 6-year-old student intentionally shot her during class, says her recovery remains grueling. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The school board chair, Lisa Surles-Law, said roses were handed out to the students and therapy dogs were made available to all first-graders. "This decision is based on the future trajectory and needs of our school division.". 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