Teacher shot ‘trying to take gun off boy, 6’
A TEACHER shot by a six-year-old boy had been trying to take the weapon off him, a parent claimed yesterday.
Abby Zwerner, 25, suffered life-threatening injuries when the pupil blasted her at close range in the chest at a school in Virginia.
Brittaney Gregory, whose son is in her class, told the Washington Post: ‘She was going to confiscate the gun, and that’s when he shot.’
Miss Zwerner’s condition is improving and she is now in a serious but stable condition in hospital. The incident happened at Richneck Elementary School in the city of Newport News on Friday. The class had finished reading a story and was about to head to an art lesson.
Police chief Steve Drew said: ‘This was not an accidental shooting. It was in a classroom, an altercation took place there.’
Lessons were cancelled yesterday and today for the 550 pupils at the school. A child suspect is in custody but is very unlikely to face any charges. ‘It would be next to impossible to prosecute a six-year-old, no matter how serious,’ said Andrew Block of the University of Virginia School of Law.
‘You have to understand the nature of legal proceedings against you and assist in your own defence. There’s no way a six-year-old would meet that criteria.’
A grandmother of one pupil said a child brought ‘shiny gold bullets’ to school last week.