1st-Grader Accused In VA Teacher Shooting Has Disability, Gun Was Locked: Report

NEWPORT NEWS, VA — An attorney for the family of a 6-year-old boy accused of shooting his first-grade teacher at a Newport News elementary school said the gun used in the shooting was kept on the top shelf of a closet and had a trigger lock, according to a report.

The statement by attorney James Ellenson to The Washington Post came shortly after the family spoke out for the first time Thursday, claiming the child suffers from an "acute disability."

According to the Post, Ellenson said the family doesn't know how the boy managed to remove the trigger lock that kept the gun from firing.

Newport News police said the boy is accused of intentionally shooting his teacher, Abigail Zwerner, inside a Richneck Elementary School classroom on Jan. 6. There was no warning and no struggle before the 6-year-old fired, police said.

Police said the boy took his mother's 9mm handgun to school, pulled it from his backpack and used it to shoot his teacher.

Zwerner, 25, was shot in the chest with injuries initially considered to be life-threatening. She has since been released from the hospital, a Riverside Regional Medical Center spokesperson told WTKR.

In a statement released by Ellenson and obtained by WAVY, the family said they were praying for Zwerner.

"She has worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son," the boy's family said in a statement. "We thank her for her courage, grace and sacrifice."

When contacted by WAVY, Newport News police could not confirm the veracity of the statement.

In the statement, the boy's family also said their son suffers from an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day.

According to the family, the week of the shooting was the first that a parent was not in class with him.

"We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives," the family said.

Police said they don't know how the child found the gun or how he learned to fire it.

Newport News Superintendent of Schools George Parker told parents during a meeting last week that a school official was notified about the weapon before the shooting; however, no gun was found when the child's backpack was searched.

Virginia law prohibits leaving a loaded gun where it is accessible to a child under 14, a misdemeanor crime punishable with a maximum one-year prison sentence and a $2,500 fine. So far, no charges have been brought against the boy's mother.

Since the shooting, the family confirmed the boy is "under hospital care and receiving the treatment he needs." They also said the gun taken by their son was secured.

"Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children," the statement read.

READ MORE:

• Angry Parents, Teachers Say Schools Failed To Protect Staff, Kids
  
• Boy's Backpack Searched Before Newport News School Shooting: Report
  
• Newport News Shooting: Can 6-Year-Old's Mother Be Charged?
• 6-Year-Old Used Mom's Gun To Shoot Teacher: VA Police Chief
• Newport News School Shooting: 6-Year-Old Shoots Teacher In Classroom