Lawyer: Gun used by child who shot teacher was ‘secured’
NORFOLK, Va. — The family of a 6-year-old boy who shot and wounded his teacher in Virginia said Thursday that the gun he used had been “secured” and that one of his parents usually accompanied him in class but did not the week the shooting occurred.
The family’s statement was released by an attorney and did not elaborate further on where the 9mm handgun was kept. The family also was not identified.
“Our family has always been committed to ... keeping firearms out of the reach of children,” the statement said. “The firearm our son accessed was secured.”
The family also said that the boy “suffers from an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day.”
The family said the week of the shooting “was the first week when we were not in class with him. We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives.”
The statement was released through the office of Newport Newsbased attorney James S. Ellenson. It is the first public communication from the child’s family and comes nearly two weeks after the shooting occurred Jan. 6 at Richneck Elementary.
Police said earlier that the 6-year-old’s mother legally purchased the gun but that it was unclear how her son gained access to it. A Virginia law prohibits leaving a loaded gun where it is accessible to a child under 14, a misdemeanor crime punishable with a maximum one-year prison sentence and $2,500 fine.
No charges have been brought against the mother, but the investigation continues, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said during one of two Facebook live chats he held with the community Wednesday.
During the first chat, the chief was asked at least twice about whether the boy’s parents would be held accountable or the mother charged. Drew responded by saying he wanted to ensure detectives were able to conduct a thorough investigation.
“I am not going to rush them,” Drew said. His department has a great relationship with local prosecutors, he said, and he has “tremendous faith” that “they will make the right decision based on the evidence that they have in front of them.”
Investigators have nearly finished interviewing the children who were in the classroom, Drew said, and police are working with a psychologist to talk to them about what they saw.
“This is a unprecedented incident that we have had in our city, where a 6-year-old child obtained a firearm ... fired and shot his teacher in front of other students,” the chief said. “I have a young teacher who suffered a gunshot wound while teaching her classroom. By the grace of God, she’s still with us today.”