A Virginia elementary school teacher wounded in a classroom shooting nearly two weeks ago has been released from the hospital, according to a school official. Abby Zwerner, 25, was shot and killed Jan. 6 at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. The police said that the culprit was a 6-year-old student of the first grade. Zwerner was wounded in the chest after a bullet went through one of her arms, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew told reporters. “Zwerner was released earlier this week,” Riverside Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Angela Archieri said. “(Zwerner) continues to receive treatment as an outpatient with the support of family, friends and medical professionals. The Zwerner family respectfully requests confidentiality at this time.” Archieri wrote in an emailed statement. Police described the shooting, which initially left Zwerner seriously injured, as “intentional.” Zwerner was praised for her heroic actions to keep her students safe after she was shot. She made sure all her students were out of the classroom, Drew said, and was the last person out of the classroom before heading to the administration office. The family of the student who allegedly shot a teacher released a statement in the first hours since the shooting Thursday, calling the event an “unimaginable tragedy.” “Our hearts go out to our son’s teacher and we pray for her recovery after such an unimaginable tragedy, as she selflessly served our son and the children at school,” the statement said. The gun allegedly used in the shooting was legally purchased by the child’s mother, who according to Drew, charges may be filed at the end of the investigation. The child brought it to school in a backpack. It remains unclear how the child gained access to the gun. Under Virginia law, if an adult leaves a loaded firearm unsecured in a way that it could endangering a child under the age of 14 is a misdemeanor. The statute also says it is unlawful for a person to unknowingly allow a child under the age of 12 to use a firearm. Classrooms are closed until at least January 30, when the next semester begins. How according to the school’s website, officials were “arranging a time for the Rychnek families to begin bringing students back into the building” the following s coming On Thursdays and Fridays, the school hosts emotional support services for students and families. The Rychnek shooting was the first in 2023 at a US school, according to a CNN analysis. A CNN analysis shows that in 2022, there were 60 shootings in K-12 schools. However, school shootings by suspects at such a young age are extremely rare. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, which tracks U.S. school shootings since 1970, there have been three other incidents where the suspects were as young as 6 years old: in 2000, 2011 and 2021.
A Virginia elementary school teacher injured in a classroom shooting nearly two weeks ago has been released from the hospital, according to a spokeswoman for the school.
Abby Zwerner, 25, was shot and killed Jan. 6 at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. The police said that the culprit was a 6-year-old student of the first grade.
Zwerner was wounded in the chest after a bullet went through one of her arms, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew told reporters.
Riverside Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Angela Archieri said Zwerner was released earlier this week.
“(Zverner) continues to recover as an outpatient with the support of family, friends and medical professionals. The Zwerner family respectfully requests privacy at this time,” Archieri wrote in an emailed statement.
Police described the shooting, which left Zwerner critically injured, as “intentional.”
Zwerner was praised for her heroic actions to keep her students safe after she was shot. She made sure all her students were out of class, Drew said, and was the last to leave her classroom before heading to the administration office.
The family of the student who is believed to have shot and killed a teacher made their first statement since the shooting Thursday, calling the incident an “unimaginable tragedy.”
“Our hearts go out to our son’s teacher and we pray for her healing after such an unimaginable tragedy as she selflessly served our son and the children at school,” the statement said.
The gun allegedly used in the shooting was legally purchased by the child’s mother, who Drew said could face charges at the end of the investigation. The child brought it to school in a backpack. It remains unclear how the child obtained the weapon.
Under Virginia law, it is an offense for an adult to leave a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a way as to endanger a child under 14 years of age. The statute also states that a person unknowingly allows a child under the age of 12 to use a firearm.
Classrooms are closed until at least January 30, when the next semester begins. Officials were “arranging a time for Richneck families to begin bringing students back into the building” next Wednesday, according to the school’s website.
The school hosts emotional support services for students and families on Thursdays and Fridays.
According to a CNN analysis, the Richneck shooting was the first in 2023 at a US school. 60 shootings at K-12 schools in 2022, CNN analysis shows.
However, school shootings involving suspects at such a young age are extremely rare. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, which tracks U.S. school shootings since 1970, there have been three other incidents where the suspects were as young as 6 years old: in 2000, 2011 and 2021.
The teacher, who was allegedly shot by a 6-year-old student, was discharged from the hospital
Source link The teacher, who was allegedly shot by a 6-year-old student, was discharged from the hospital