Schools chief fired after boy, 6, shoots teacher in Virginia

The superintendent of a schoolhouse successful the US authorities of Virginia has mislaid his occupation aft a six-year-old pupil changeable and wounded a teacher earlier this month.

The schoolhouse committee decided by a ballot of 5-to-1 to terminate George Parker lone hours aft a lawyer for the teacher announced plans to writer the district.

Abigail Zwerner, 25, was released from infirmary past week aft being changeable successful the thorax successful her classroom.

Her lawyer said connected Wednesday the shooting was "entirely preventable".

Police person not announced immoderate charges.

The 6 January shooting - which authorities person described arsenic "intentional" - rocked the Virginia metropolis of Newport News, and raised questions astir what ineligible consequences whitethorn travel and for whom.

"On that day, implicit the people of a fewer hours, 3 antithetic times - 3 times - schoolhouse medication was warned by acrophobic teachers and employees that the lad had a weapon connected him astatine schoolhouse and was threatening people," said lawyer Diane Toscano.

"But the medication could not beryllium bothered."

According to Ms Toscano, a teacher astatine Richneck Elementary School told an authoritative she believed the young lad had enactment the weapon successful his pouch earlier helium went retired for break.

The authoritative allegedly responded: "Well, helium has small pockets."

Another head ignored a teacher's petition to hunt the lad and his backpack, Ms Toscano said.

Later connected Wednesday, the schoolhouse committee convened to sack the territory superintendent, Mr Parker. The adjunct main of Richneck Elementary School besides resigned from that presumption connected Wednesday.

Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones thanked the outgoing superintendent, and said helium supports the board's effort to "hire a dynamic, caller person for our nationalist schoolhouse strategy - 1 that volition assistance america heal and determination guardant with the indispensable changes to marque our schools safer for everyone".

The superintendent's wage was implicit $250,000 (£200,000) per year, according to section quality outlets. He volition proceed to person afloat wage and benefits until June 2024 due to the fact that helium was fired without cause.

Ms Toscano's claims are bolstered by substance messages exchanged betwixt the school's teachers and obtained by the Washington Post. According to the messages, Ms Zwerner had raised concerns astir the six-year-old and asked for help.

Last week, the household of the young lad said helium suffered from an "acute disability" and seldom attended schoolhouse without 1 of his parents being present. The time of the shooting helium had attended schoolhouse alone.

The household besides praised Ms Zwerner, saying she had "worked diligently and compassionately to enactment our household arsenic we sought the champion acquisition and learning situation for our son".

Newport News constabulary main Steve Drew has said Ms Zwerner saved lives connected the time of the shooting by ushering her students retired of the people aft being changeable done the manus and successful the chest.

Police besides said the weapon utilized by the lad had been legally purchased by his mother. The boy's household said the limb had been "secured". Police person not responded to this claim.

Virginia instrumentality prohibits anyone from recklessly leaving a loaded, unsecured firearm successful specified a mode that whitethorn endanger a kid nether 14 years of age.