6-Year-Old Virginia Kid Shoots Elementary School Teacher 'Intentionally'
Police reported that a 6-year-old Virginia kid shot an elementary school teacher Friday afternoon.
Police in Newport News, Virginia, a city in the state's southeast, released a statement saying they had arrested the kid suspected of shooting a female teacher at Richneck Elementary School.
According to The Guardian, the police were reportedly informed at around 2:00 p.m. that a teacher had been shot during some altercation at the school.
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew assured reporters that there was no evidence of anyone going around the school shooting. However, he did confirm that there was a shooting situation at a specific spot. He also said that the shooting was intentional.
The student has been arrested, and the elementary school teacher in her 30s was rushed to the hospital with "life-threatening injuries," as reported by the police.
He did not say how the Virginia kid got the pistol used for shooting.
However, as authorities were still processing evidence at the scene of the incident, the chief assured the media that all students on campus had been transferred to the school gymnasium and were safe.
Elementary School Teacher Is in Stable Condition
According to a statement released by the Newport News Police Department on Saturday, the condition of the elementary school teacher has improved, and she is now in stable condition.
They also said that the chief has spoken with her and her family, CNN reported.
"Chief Drew asked that you continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers," police said, stating that there is an ongoing investigation.
During a news conference Friday, the chief said they would complete the investigation as there are things they need to know, like where the gun came from and the situation.
Mayor Phillip D. Jones of Newport News stated that investigations were underway Saturday to provide answers to the many issues that have been plaguing residents ever since the incident.
"It is almost impossible to wrap our minds around the fact that a 6-year-old 1st grader brought a loaded handgun to school and shot a teacher," the mayor said in a statement on Twitter.
Newport News Mayor Says the Incident Is a 'Red Flag for the Country'
Considering the continuing investigation, police on Saturday chose not to comment on what caused the incident or what else transpired in the classroom.
Jones also refused to comment on who owned the pistol or how the Virginia kid got his hands on it.
Jones characterized the situation as a "red flag" for the country, said AP.
He also said that there would be a countrywide discussion on preventing these sorts of things after what happened.
In Virginia, a child younger than six cannot be prosecuted as an adult. Furthermore, a 6-year-old cannot be sent to the Department of Juvenile Justice's care upon conviction.
A juvenile court judge, however, might remove a kid from their parents' care and give legal custody to the state's social services agency.
Meanwhile, Jones declined to provide the location of the Virginia kid's detention.
"We are ensuring he has all the services he needs right now," Jones said.
According to the Virginia Department of Education website, there are around 550 kids in kindergarten through fifth grade in Richneck.
As per Jones' announcement, the school would be closed on Monday and Tuesday.
"Today our students got a lesson in gun violence," said George Parker III, Newport News school's superintendent, "and what guns can do to disrupt not only an educational environment but also a family, a community."
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Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: 6-year-old shoots teacher at Virginia elementary school, police say - From CBS Evening News