Image COurtesy: USA Today
An elementary school teacher was shot in the head by a 6-year-old kid in a Virginia first-grade classroom on Friday, officials said. The student has been arrested.
According to police, no pupils were wounded at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia.
“The altercation was between a 6-year-old, the student who did have the firearm, and the teacher,” Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said. “This was not an accidental shooting.”
Drew said the gunfire was reported at 2 p.m., and officials responded “within minutes.” He stated that there is no ongoing threat to the neighbourhood.
“We did not have a situation where someone was going around the school shooting. We had a situation in one particular location where a gunshot was fired,” Drew said in a press conference.
Drew stated that the handgun used by the student will be the focus of future investigation: “I want to know where that firearm got from.”
He stated that the boy remained in custody Friday evening as officials determined what services he would require and how to handle the matter.
“It’s a dark day for Newport News, we’re going to learn from this and we’re going to come back stronger,” Mayor Phillip Jones said at a press conference.
Richneck kids will be excused from school on Monday as the town deals with the fallout from the incident, according to Superintendent George Parker.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Newport News has a population of approximately 185,000 people and is located around 40 miles from Chesapeake and Virginia Beach. It is well-known for its ties to shipbuilding for the United States Navy.
