Richneck School Shooting Suspect Is 6 Years Old: Police

A 6-year-old student is accused of shooting a teacher in a classroom at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, on January 6, 2023, the police chief said in a news conference.

“The individual is a 6-year-old student. He is right now in police custody,” Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said in the news conference. Police are working with partners, such as the Commonwealth attorney and additional resources, to find the best way to address the situation and “get services to this young man,” the chief said in the press conference.

The injured teacher was identified as Abby Zwerner, the police chief confirmed in a January 9, 2023, press conference. Read more about Zwerner here.

In that press conference, the chief said the child obtained the gun inside his home, where it had been legally purchased by his mother. He brought it to school in a backpack and pointed it at Zwerner as she was teaching, shooting one round, which went through her hand and into her chest, Drew said in the press conference. He said an emergency detention order was obtained for the child, who is receiving medical treatment. According to the chief, the shooting was intentional, and Zwerner is now in stable condition.

“In reference to the January 6 shooting at Richneck Elementary School, Chief Steve Drew met with the victim and her family this morning. She has improved and is currently listed in stable condition. Chief Drew asked that you continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers,” Newport News police wrote in a January 7, 2023, statement.

The chief said in the news conference that the incident was isolated to a classroom, and the teacher, who is in her 30s, is improving but has life-threatening wounds.

“I saw a lot of tears today,” the chief said in the news conference. He said there was an altercation, and the student had a firearm.

“This was not an accidental shooting,” the chief said. He said he wants to know where the firearm, a handgun, came from. “As you can imagine, this is a hard situation,” he said at another point in the news conference, saying that young people are “our future.”

Asked whether he was in touch with the child’s parents, Drew said other officials were handling the investigation.

The teacher’s condition is not clear, according to a press release from Newport News police.

Here’s what you need to know:

No Students Were Injured in the Shooting, Police Say

“We had one adult female that suffered a gunshot wound,” Drew said in the news conference, identifying the victim as a teacher.

“This occurred in a classroom. It was isolated,” Drew said in the press conference. He said the shooting wasn’t an active shooter situation with a student going through halls and shooting or anything like that.

“I cannot be more impressed with the faculty at this school,” Drew said in the news conference. He said school board members were walking students to their parents “to make sure they were okay.”

“The altercation was between a 6 year old, the student who did have the firearm, and then the teacher, and then a round was fired. Like I said, she suffered a gunshot wound and was transferred to the hospital,” Drew said in the news conference.

A statement from Newport News Public Schools confirmed that there was a “shooting incident at Richneck Elementary School” in which a teacher was injured and taken to a local hospital.

“All of the students are safe. The perpetrator is in police custody,” the statement, posted to the district’s Facebook page, read.

“No students were injured in this incident. An adult was taken to a local hospital. The extent of the adult’s injuries is unknown at this time. There is no longer an active shooter,” police wrote in a press release posted to their Medium account.

“We’re beginning the process to reunite parents with students,” Newport News police wrote in the news release.

“The Police Department and school division leaders are onsite and actively investigating,” the district’s statement read. “Parent and student reunification is taking place at the Richneck gym door. Parents and guardians must present a picture ID to pick up their child.”

Hundreds of Parents Showed Up at the Reunification Center as Word Spread of the Shooting, Which Occurred in a First Grade Classroom

Daily Press reported that hundreds of parents turned up at the reunification center as word of the shooting spread.

The victim’s name was not released.

“Today our students got a lesson in gun violence,” said Newport News School Superintendent Dr. George Parker, also speaking in the press conference. He said that guns need to be kept out of the hands of young people. “My teachers cannot control access to weapons … It comes on campus because of access in the community,” Parker said.

“I’m in shock,” the superintendent said of the student’s age, adding that he believes children need to be educated and kept safe. “Today was really a breakdown in what our values are as a community,” he said in the news conference. Parker said the shooting occurred in a first-grade classroom.

The Shooting Reports Broke Out During Mid-Afternoon at the Elementary School

Newport News’s Mayor Phillip Jones said in the news conference that he “could not be prouder of our public servants … Newport News is a strong community.” He said the shooting “hurts my heart.”

“It’s a dark day for Newport News,” Jones said in the news conference. “We’re going to learn from this, and we’re going to come back stronger.”

According to WAVY.com, police responded to the shooting reports around 2 p.m. at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. The elementary school is located at 205 Tyner Drive, off Jefferson Avenue.

The motive was not mentioned in the police press release. Video showed a massive law enforcement response to the scene.

“The staff and community of Richneck Elementary School believe that all children can achieve academic success and become productive citizens,” the Richneck Elementary School website says. “We will choose appropriate strategies to help all children learn in a safe, orderly and inviting environment.”

The school’s Facebook page says, “Richneck is a K-5 elementary school located in Newport News, Virginia.”

U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) tweeted, “Deeply disturbed by this report and closely monitoring the situation. My thoughts go out to all families and first responders.”

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