Tuesdays school board meeting was the first opportunity for public venting since the shooting of first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner on Jan. 6. He was pronounced dead at 8:38 p.m. Susan C. Beachy contributed research. Jagdish Khubchandani, a professor of public health at New Mexico State University who has studied school violence, pointed to research that found that children under 10 were as likely as older children to know where guns were stored in the home. Were going to ensure that everyones taken care of.". He pointed to other tactics, such as locking doors and installing security cameras, and urged a focus on mental health and conflict resolution. He said the gun was taken from the child's home. The police department and Riverside Regional Medical Center, where the teacher was recovering, said Saturday that she had been stabilized. You've got beautiful people, but what's the problem? While Drew said he did not know what was going through the boy's mind before the shooting, he said the student shot Zwerner, 25, on purpose. Gov. States holding gun owners criminally liable for any violation are associated with decreased rates of firearm deaths in children under the age of 14, said Lee, who is one of the authors of the 2019 study. In that case, a student, Ethan Crumbley, pleaded guilty to killing four students and injuring seven other people. After a teacher observed violent drawings in class, and his parents declined to take him home, he remained in school. -- A 6-year-old boy is in police custody after he shot a teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, on Friday afternoon, according to Newport News Police Chief Steve "Ok, that's the biggest problem in this country. The shooting, which police say The boy struck the employee but did not fire another shot, the police said. Dozens of teachers and parents unleashed fury, fear and frustration on the Newport News school board Tuesday evening, saying systemic problems throughout the district created the climate in which, police said, a 6-year-old boy shot his teacher earlier this month. The Newport News school board is set to address the incident at Richneck Elementary School in which a 6-year-old allegedly shot a teacher. Another study found that 70 percent of 5- to 6-year olds, and 90 percent of 7- to 8-year-olds had enough finger strength to pull the trigger. A man is dead following a shooting in Newport News Wednesday night, according to police. While her injuries were initially described as life-threatening, Zwerner has been listed in stable condition since Saturday, according to the citys police chief, Steve Drew. The report recommends states without such laws consider adopting them to reduce gun-related suicides, homicides and unintentional injuries and death among youth. The 6-year-old boy is accused of later shooting his teacher. Metal detectors and some other surveillance strategies have drawn criticism for not reliably preventing shootings, while also negatively affecting students of color. School board members listened without responding to the substance of any of the public comments. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In that incident, a student fired several shots in a busy hallway. A man was killed and two men were injured in a Thursday night shooting in Newport News, according to a release from Newport News police. That is a great question, and I wish we never had to have it asked, he said. Some states are misdemeanors, like in Virginia, and in other states they are felonies. Now, the school will install metal detectors. Later that fall, an 18-year-old Warwick High School student fatally shot a 17-year-old Woodside High student after a basketball game. She was in stable condition on Monday. No students were injured in the shooting. At the time of the shooting, the firearm was displayed from his person, not from his backpack, said Steve Drew, the chief of police in Newport News. If you have any information about this case, you can submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-888-LOCK-U-UP, downloading the P3 tips app to a mobile device, or visitingwww.P3tips.comand submitting a tip. Much is still unknown about the timeline of events on Jan. 6, and what exactly happened between the boys arrival at school and the shooting around 2 p.m. Richneck Elementary School first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner was hailed as a hero after the shooting in Newport News. "The police did an amazing job, they were here very, very quickly along with the sheriffs office. Police said during a press conference Friday evening that the shooting was not accidental and that they are working to learn how the student got a firearm and why the shooting occurred. Do you have access to a safe storage mechanism? he said, adding, Its more preventative., The shooting at Richneck Elementary happened shortly before 2 p.m. on Friday, and unfolded quickly, with officers and medics responding in a matter of minutes, according to the police. Statistics in the U.K. for crime is zero for guns, why is it so bad? But more fundamentally, a series of speakers said metal detectors are not enough to address the districts underlying problems. "I believe she did save lives, because I don't know what else might have happened if those kids would have stayed in that room.". "There is a lot to learn here and a lot to unpack. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Unsecured guns in homes and cars are fueling our much broader and much more prevalent gun violence issue in the US, said Cassandra Crifasi, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who studies the effects of gun policies. Shes terrified because the person who was advocating for her got hurt. 5:03 AM EST, Sun January 15, 2023. In September 2021, two 17-year-olds were injured in a shooting at Heritage High School; two months later, a 17-year-old was killed outside Menchville High School. A young student cannot purchase their own gun, which means they have to seek it from an adult. My board members know how I feel about making our schools look anything like a prison, he added. She turned around to make sure that every one of those students was safe, said Steve Drew, the chief of police in Newport News, Va., who described Ms. Zwerners actions as heroic and said she was in stable condition. There are key differences between child access prevention laws and safe storage laws, and the provisions of each vary widely from state to state. A 6-year-old student shot a teacher during an altercation at a Virginia elementary school on Friday, police said. Students and police gather outside of Richneck Elementary School after a shooting, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 in Newport News, Va. You've got a beautiful country. "This is something that should never occur, and I think we're all in shock and we all understand that we have a lot of work to do as a community to make sure things like this don't occur.". This is the 17th shooting by someone under 10 years of age in a school. I am continuing to monitor the situation and am praying for the continued safety of all students and the community.". Did you encounter any technical issues? It is unclear who notified the employee, what information was available or what kind of search was conducted. It also reveals a lack of public education on the responsibility of gun owners to store their guns unloaded, locked and away from ammunition, the experts said. Biden surveys Ida cleanup in, Newsfeed Now: UPS driver spreads joy with TikTok, Parents used restrains on Surry Co. toddler: warrants, Overnight house fire displaces 3 in Pungo, Youngkin knocks Va. schools over maniacal focus, NN superintendent talks safety after Richneck shooting, Judge denies class action status for fired Twitter, NC Coast Guard crew helps in rescue off coast of, NN man charged with murder in death of Williamsburg, Jury awards Army Lt. $3.6k in civil suit against, Dozens of NN parents, teachers speak out on school, Director: Recent water bills in Chesapeake check, New leadership at NN school where teacher was shot, Supt. Updated on: January 7, 2023 / 7:36 PM The news that an employee had searched the backpack raised questions about the adequacy of the schools response, in a case that has already drawn significant attention because of the childs young age, which has brought a new level of concern to the charged debate over guns and school safety. School Searched 6-Year-Olds Backpack Before Newport News Shooting, Officials Say, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/us/newport-news-shooting-gun-search.html. appreciated. At that time, he said all the children were moved to the gym after the incident and were safe. A Warner Bros. Virginia law prohibits leaving a loaded gun where it is accessible to children under 14, but in contrast to some other states, such as Oregon and Massachusetts, there is not a broad law that requires all guns to be safely stored in homes. An essential factor in all gun safety laws, including secure storage and child access prevention, is public awareness and education about how guns should be stored safely, experts said. But the tip was not relayed to the Newport News Police Department before the shooting, the police said in a statement on Friday. Still, he said, there were ways to limit access even with guns in the home. Board members, you have lost your way, and you have lost our confidence, said Colleen Renthrope, who said she had two children in the district who are terrified during active shooter drills and who are forced to attend school where there is no real discipline of students who misbehave. 6-year-old who allegedly shot Va. teacher used gun legally purchased by mom, police say. Drew called the investigation "unprecedented" Monday. Teacher shot by 6-year-old student hailed as a hero, was intentionally shot by a 6-year-old student. It listed a security officer on its website. I believe she did save lives, because I dont know what else might have happened.. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. "The 6-year-old child displayed a firearm, pointed it at her and fired one round," Drew said. He said a survey conducted last May of teachers and staff found that 60 percent of respondents said building administrators address negative student behaviors, and 69 percent said school administrators work to maintain a safe learning environment. Police have interviewed the 6-year-old and his mother in the wake of Friday's shooting and determined the gun was legally purchased by the boy's mother, Newport News Police Chief Last June, a one-year-old girl was fatally shot and another child was injured after an eight-year-old boy accidentally shot them while playing with his fathers gun in Florida. WTVR. Chief Drew confirmed a 6-year-old boy is in custody. The altercation was between a 6-year-old, the student, who did have the firearm, and the teacher, and then a round was fired, Drew had said. His belongings were not searched. Newport News police say that at 8:34 p.m., officers responded to reports of shots fired near The shooting was isolated to a classroom at the school, Drew said. 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