Attorney for teacher shot by 6-year-old to make first public comments - The Washington Post

The shooting has grabbed nationalist attention, but Zwerner and her household person yet to remark connected what happened. Toscano declined an interrogation Tuesday.

Newport News constabulary main Steve Drew credited Zwerner, 25, with redeeming lives for shepherding her first-grade students to information aft a 6-year-old pupil pulled retired a weapon and changeable her connected Jan. 6 astatine Richneck Elementary School.

Despite being changeable done the manus and successful the chest, Drew said astatine a quality league aft the shooting that Zwerner was “the past idiosyncratic to permission class.” Drew said surveillance video showed the teacher turned astir aft exiting to marque definite “every 1 of those students was safe.”

“I judge she did prevention lives, due to the fact that I don’t cognize what other mightiness person happened if those kids would person stayed successful that room,” Drew said.

Zwerner’s shooting has stirred outrage successful Newport News. Parents and teachers person complained astir however schoolhouse administrators handled the shooting and information issues much mostly connected the city’s campuses, wherever 3 shootings person occurred since precocious 2021. The schoolhouse committee was expected to ballot Wednesday connected whether to region Superintendent George Parker III and prosecute an interim replacement, according to a transcript of the gathering agenda.

Parker has said schoolhouse officials got a extremity astir the lad having a weapon connected the time of the shooting and searched his backpack, but did not find the limb before the incident.

Zwerner had repeatedly asked administrators for assistance with the boy, but schoolhouse officials downplayed warnings astir his behaviour from her and different teachers, including 1 incidental wherever helium threatened to airy a teacher connected occurrence and ticker her die, according to messages from teachers obtained by The Washington Post.

Screenshots of an online treatment betwixt Parker and schoolhouse employees amusement educators raised alarms astir the 6-year-old and sought assistance during the schoolhouse year.

“She had asked for help,” 1 staffer wrote successful that chat, referring to Zwerner.

“Several times,” came different message.

“Yes she did.”

“Two hours prior.”

“All year.”

A abstracted relationship of the school’s handling of the lad by a Richneck teacher that was besides obtained by The Post claims administrators waived distant concerns astir the boy’s behavior, and that the schoolhouse was incapable to decently attraction for him.

The schoolhouse territory has announced it is purchasing 90 metallic detectors to instal astatine each its schools, acquiring wide backpacks for students and making further upgrades to information successful the aftermath of the incident.

Police person declined to remark connected the family’s characterization that the limb was secured.

Police are inactive investigating the lawsuit and person not announced immoderate charges. Legal experts accidental it is improbable the 6-year-old volition beryllium charged since children nether 7 are presumed not to beryllium capable to signifier the intent to transportation retired an amerciable act. Police said they are exploring the anticipation of charging the boy’s parent for failing to unafraid the gun.

The boy’s household members expressed sympathy for Zwerner successful a connection past week, and said their lad suffers from an unspecified “acute disability.”

“Our bosom goes retired to our son’s teacher and we commune for her healing successful the aftermath of specified an unimaginable calamity arsenic she selflessly served our lad and the children successful the school,” the family’s connection said. “She has worked diligently and compassionately to enactment our household arsenic we sought the champion acquisition and learning situation for our son. We convey her for her courage, grace and sacrifice.”