Photo: Jay Paul/Getty Images
For: The opinion Posted Jan 15, 2023, 4:58 pm EST
The gun allegedly used by a 6-year-old boy to shoot his teacher at a Newport News, Virginia, school was purchased legally by the boy’s mother, authorities said, however they found that the minor did not hide it in his backpack, but carries it among his clothes.
Even in a town hall meeting with parents, the superintendent of the Virginia school district, the superintendent of Newport News, Dr. George Parker III, said that The boy accused of the shooting arrived at Richneck Elementary School and his backpack was searched after someone reported that he may have had a weapon.
The superintendent told parents that a school official was notified about the weapon before the 6-year-old shot the teacher at Richneck Elementary in Newport News, Virginia. https://t.co/ZyUlq5Rqm2
— WCTV Eyewitness News (@WCTV) January 15, 2023
The person who went through the boy’s bag did not find a weapon. A few hours later, 25-year-old teacher Abigail Zwerner was shot.
“We have determined through our investigation that a school employee was notified of a possible firearm at Richneck Elementary prior to the shooting. The Newport News Police Department was not notified of this information prior to the incident. I am unable to release any further information at this time due to the ongoing investigation,” officials said.
Thus, the school district said it will install metal detectors at all schools.
The Newport News School Board said the first metal detectors for all students, faculty, staff and visitors will be installed at Richneck Elementary, board president Lisa Surles-Law said.
The school board said it will purchase 90 metal detectors to be placed in all schools in the district.
The district was able to obtain funds from the city and reuse funds from the school budget to purchase the metal detectors.
Surles-Law said no decision has been made on when Richneck Elementary will reopen.
In addition to “state-of-the-art detectors,” the district will strengthen protocols on handling school violenceincluding implementing a security stop and reviewing student conduct and discipline records, Surles-Law said.
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