NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The family of the 6-year-old student who police say shot a teacher at Richneck Elementary School issued its first public statement about the shooting, saying the boy “suffers from an acute disability and was under a care plan” in which his parents attended school with him.
But on Jan. 6 — the day the boy suddenly shot his teacher in the chest in the middle of class — the parents were not attending school with him.
“The week of the shooting was the first week when we were not in class with him,” the family’s statement said. “We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives.”
The family’s statement also said the gun the boy used in the shooting — a gun that Newport News police say was legally purchased by the child’s mother — was “secured.”
“Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children,” the statement said. “The firearm our son accessed was secured.”
The statement did not elaborate on how the boy was able to access a secured weapon.
The statement was released by the family’s attorney, James Ellenson, on Thursday morning, the day after a Daily Press and Virginian-Pilot reporter left a note at the boy’s grandmother’s home in Newport News. The grandmother said at the time that she would turn over the note and request to the family’s attorney.
No charges have been filed against either the first grader — and are highly unlikely because of his age — or the boy’s parents. The child was undergoing treatment at a medical facility this week.
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said the boy gained access to his mother’s gun at home, put it in a book bag and carried it to school that morning. The school received a tip that day the boy had potentially brought a weapon to school and the student’s bag was searched earlier in the day, but no firearm was located.
In the middle of a class at 2 p.m., Drew said, the boy pointed the gun at his teacher, 25-year-old Abigail Zwerner, and fired a single round. He struck Zwerner in her hand, then the chest. No motive has been provided. She was recovering at a hospital.
The family’s statement also said the family was praying for Zwerner’s healing, saying she “selflessly served our son and the children in the school.”
“She has worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son,” the statement said. “We thank her for her courage, grace and sacrifice.”
Since the Jan. 6 shooting, “our son has been under hospital care and receiving the treatment he needs,” the statement said.
“We thank our son’s medical treatment team as well as our family, friends, and all others who have offered support during this difficult time,” the statement continued. “We continue to pray for his teacher’s full recovery, and for her loved ones who are undoubtedly upset and concerned. At the same time, we love our son and are asking that you please include him and our family in your prayers.”
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