Shots fired in elementary school: First grader deliberately shoots at teacher
Created: 01/10/2023 11:17 am
By: Kilian Bäuml
A six-year-old boy shoots at his teacher at an elementary school in the United States.
The murder weapon is apparently his mother's gun.
Newport News – On Friday (January 6), a six-year-old student shot his teacher at a primary school in the United States.
The incident happened in the city of Newport News, Virginia.
The teacher was seriously injured and taken to the hospital.
The act is said to have been triggered by a dispute between the six-year-old and his teacher.
Students were not injured in the incident.
The investigations continue.
After the incident on Friday, the teacher's injuries were initially classified as life-threatening.
Apparently the woman is doing a little better now.
There has been "some improvement after the last update we received," Newport News Police chief Steve Drew said at a news conference.
At the same time, he emphasized that the incident was not an accident, but a deliberate act.
The police chief also praised the teacher: "She suffered a gunshot wound, but was able to get all the students out of the classroom." A vigil was held for the teacher on Monday.
A vigil was held on Monday for the teacher who was shot.
© Billy Schuerman/dpa
USA: Shooting at an elementary school - 6-year-old uses his mother's gun
The incident raises many questions for the authorities.
It turned out that the murder weapon was the student's mother's handgun.
The six-year-old apparently stole it from his mother.
Because of the perpetrator's young age, investigators may also be looking at the parents, the
New York Times wrote
.
Virginia law prohibits storing a loaded gun where it is accessible to children under the age of 14.
After shots in an elementary school in the USA: frightened children and patrolling police
After the crime, numerous photos and videos were taken showing frightened children at school and dozens of police officers patrolling.
On Friday afternoon, the students were reunited in the school's sports hall.
"We have to educate our children and keep them safe," said George Parker, the principal of the elementary school where the incident happened.
The schools in his district are equipped with metal detectors, but the children are not checked every day.
There are stricter controls only in threatening situations.
In the United States, there has been a debate about tightening gun laws for years, as bloody crimes keep happening.
Just last year there was a shooting rampage in an elementary school in the USA with 21 victims.
(kiba/dpa)
