A first-grade teacher in Virginia was shot by a 6-year-old student on Friday afternoon at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. The teacher, Abby Zwerner, was attempting to confiscate a gun that the student had brought to school when the child pulled the trigger.
Zwerner has been praised as a hero for warning the other students to flee and is currently in serious but stable condition at Riverside Regional Medical Center. The student has been taken into custody, and the incident is being investigated as a fight rather than an accidental shooting, according to the New York Post.
It is not clear at this time what led to the altercation or how the student obtained the gun. Students were placed under lockdown following the shooting, and some have reported feeling scared and struggling to sleep due to fears that the shooter may return.
Andrew Block, an associate professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, stated that it is unlikely that the 6-year-old student will be prosecuted due to their age and lack of understanding of legal proceedings.
However, an adult may face misdemeanor charges if the gun was not properly secured from children under 14 in the home where the student lives, as required by Virginia law.
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