Virginia elementary school remains on lockdown after police say 6-year-old teacher shot

(CNN) — An elementary school in Virginia will be closed this week to give students “time to heal” after They allegedly shot a 6-year-old boy and injured a teacher there Friday, school announced.

Less than a week after New Year’s Day, officers swarmed the campus of Richneck Elementary in Newport News, which still had a “Happy New Year” sign outside, and took the child into custody.

The boy shot the teacher in the classroom and it was “not a random shooting,” Police Chief Steve Drew said. As of Friday, the boy remained in police custody.

There was an argument between the teacher and the student, who had a firearm, before the shooting, Drew said. He added that one shell was fired, no other students were present.

“We’ve reached out to our attorney and some other organizations to help us get the best services for this young man,” Drew said Friday.

The teacher, whose injuries were initially described as life-threatening, was listed in stable condition Saturday, according to Newport News Police Department.

The lecturer was first identified by her alma mater, James Madison University, as Abby Zwerner.

The elementary school had an emergency plan in place that allowed immediate medical attention to be provided to the injured teacher, Newport News Public Schools Superintendent George Parker said.

“While no amount of planning can guarantee that such a tragedy will not occur; please know that our combined efforts and preparation resulted in immediate medical attention for our faculty, no student injuries, and a safe and efficient process to reunite our families and students,” Parker said.

District officials told CNN on Monday that the school does not have a resource officer. Only middle schools and high schools have a campus resource officer, while elementary schools have unarmed security guards.

At Richneck Elementary, a security guard works with a nearby school, and the district was unable to tell CNN which school the security guard was at when the shooting occurred.

The district also could not tell CNN if there had been any disciplinary action against the 6-year-old before the shooting.

As the investigation continues and police determine how the young boy gained access to the firearm and what led to the shooting, members of the community are grappling with what happened.

“It’s very difficult to process,” Newport News Mayor Philip Jones told CNN on Sunday. “The fact that we have a 6-year-old capable of bringing a weapon to school and harming his teacher is something we still struggle with.”

The mayor would not comment on the child’s family or their involvement in the investigation.

“There are a lot of questions that we have to answer as a community,” the mayor added. “But how a 6-year-old child could have a gun, know how to use it in such a deliberate way… Those responsible will be brought to justice. I can promise that.”