A 6-year-old shot his teacher in Virginia 2 weeks ago

A 6-year-old shot his teacher in Virginia 2 weeks ago: What we know as family, authorities release more information

Two weeks after a Virginia 6-year-old shot and injured his first grade teacher, his family and authorities have released new details about the case, including where the gun he used was stored.



The shooting has left the Newport News, Virginia, community shaken and questioning the safety of students and staff in schools.

Police have said the child, who hasn't been identified, brought a loaded 9mm handgun to Richneck Elementary School in his backpack. He took the gun out without warning and shot once at 25-year-old Abigail Zwerner, who was teaching her first grade class at the time, police said.

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Gun used to shoot teacher was 'secured,' family says
In their first public statement since the Jan. 6 shooting, family members of the child said they have "always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children."

The family, remaining anonymous, said the gun was "secured" in a statement released through attorney James Ellenson.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Ellenson said the gun had a trigger lock that should have kept it from firing and was stored on the top shelf of a closet in the mother's bedroom. He said the family doesn't know how the child got ahold of it.

Newport News police previously said the gun was legally purchased by the boy's mother in York County, and that the child took it from his home.

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