VA Teacher Improving After Being Shot By 6-Year-Old

January 8, 2023 Education, Guns

The New York Times reports:

The 6-year-old, a first grader at Richneck Elementary in Newport News, Va., shot a teacher with a handgun on Friday afternoon, the Newport News Police Department said, in an incident that the police said was “not an accidental shooting.” The boy and the teacher had been involved in an altercation in a classroom before the boy shot the teacher once, the police said. The teacher suffered “life-threatening” injuries but had improved by Saturday and was in stable condition.

The authorities have not publicly identified the child or the teacher, detailed the nature of the altercation or offered information about whether the gun was taken from home, school or elsewhere. The unusual nature of the situation leaves the path forward far from clear. While it is possible that the child could be criminally charged, legal scrutiny could also fall on the child’s parents or another adult. Virginia law prohibits leaving a loaded gun where it is accessible to children under the age of 14.

The Associated Press reports: 



Police Chief Steve Drew met with the teacher and her family Saturday morning. Police on Saturday declined to describe what led to the altercation or any other details about what happened in the classroom, citing the ongoing investigation. Jones also declined to reveal details of the shooting, or say how the boy got access to the gun or who owns the weapon. “This is a red flag for the country,” Jones said.

Virginia law does not allow 6-year-olds to be tried as adults. In addition, a 6-year-old is too young to be committed to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice if found guilty. A juvenile judge would have authority, though, to revoke a parent’s custody and place a child under the purview of Social Services. Jones would not say where the boy is being held.

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