The boy, 6, who shot a teacher in Virginia used his mother's legally purchased gun, according to police. The authorities provide the first in-depth account of the moment the child opened fire on his instructor.
Investigators
claim that a legally licenced firearm belonging to his mother was used by the
six-year-old boy who shot his teacher.
Authorities
in the US state of Virginia asserted that there was no confrontation or
physical disagreement prior to the small child opening fire on Abby Zwerner as
she was instructing a lesson.
Police
chief Steve Drew claimed that on the day of the shooting, the youngster had
taken the 9mm handgun from his house in a bag.
Press Conference
At
a press conference, he gave the first in-depth account of a shooting that shook
the residents of Newport News and a nation accustomed to gun violence:
"She was instructing, as far as we can tell today. He pointed a gun while
displaying it, then he fired one round."
Mr.
Drew previously stated that the incident was not an accident but chose not to
go into further detail.
"NOT AN ACCIDENT"
He
claimed he wished to clarify comments he made on Friday immediately following
the incident, in which he claimed there had been a "altercation"
before to the shooting.
The
policeman claimed that what happened was more like a "interaction"
between the youngster and his first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary
School, who is 25 years old.
He
did, however, add that the shooting was "not an accident."
"It
was deliberate," He Said.
Teacher Praise A Hero
When
the rifle discharged, Ms. Zwerner raised her hand in defence, and the bullet
passed through her hand and entered her upper chest, Mr. Drew continued.
Although
her injuries were previously thought to be life-threatening, she has improved
and is now listed in a hospital's stable condition.
After
being shot, Ms. Zwerner immediately ushered her kids out of the room, and Mr.
Drew praised her as a hero, claiming that security footage revealed she was the
last person to leave the room.
She
went around to check on the safety of each student "explained the police
chief.
After
hearing the gunshot, according to Mr. Drew, a school employee hurried into the
classroom and forcibly restrained the youngster.
When
police officers arrived, they led the youngster out of the building and into a
police car, according to the employee who claimed the boy became "a little
belligerent" and punched him.
Since
a temporary detention order and emergency custody order were granted on Friday,
the youngster has been kept at a medical facility, according to Mr. Drew.
He
stated that a judge will determine the boy's future course of action. Police
have spoken with his mother, however it is presently unknown whether or not she
will be charged.
The
first-grade teacher has demonstrated "dedication and love for what she
does day in and day out," Ms. Zwerner's friend told a gathering gathered
at a vigil on Monday night as questions surrounded the child and his mother.
Second-grade
teacher Rosalie List at Richneck said: "Every day, Abby proves her mettle
as a fighter by showing both mental and physical fortitude. I'm really pleased
with her."
Richneck's
school counsellor, Lauren Palladini, described Ms. Zwerner as "kind"
to the audience.
"She
is considerate. She has empathy. And I've had the privilege of working with her
as one of the most outstanding teachers "said the school counsellor.
One
of the city's elementary school teachers, Amanda Bartley, urged everyone to
pray for the hurt teacher and "pray for the young man who did this."
She
told reporters that there were still a lot of unanswered questions.
She
uttered: "He got the gun somehow. Why wasn't it kept inside? A responsible
gun owner understands to lock away their firearm. You are wearing a safety. The
ammunition and the actual weapon are kept apart."
What will now happen to the boy and his mother?
It
is a misdemeanour to break the statute, which carries a potential one-year jail
term and $2,500 in fines.
Virginia
does not have any laws dictating how unattended firearms should be handled or
mandating that gun owners lock their weapons.
According
to Allison Anderman, senior counsel and director of local policy at the
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Virginia's child access prevention
law is "certainly weaker than many other states that have child access
prevention laws."
Legal
authorities stated that while it is theoretically possible under Virginia law
to prosecute a kid under the age of six with a crime, there are several
barriers to doing so, and it is highly doubtful that any prosecutor would even
attempt it.
In
the words of Andrew Block, a professor at the University of Virginia School of
Law and former director of Virginia's Department of Juvenile Justice from 2014
to 2019, "It's practically inconceivable to see a six-year-old being
judged competent to stand trial."