United States: Teacher shot by 6-year-old boy sues school

An American schoolteacher, who had been shot by a 6-year-old student, announced Wednesday that she would sue the school’s administration, which she said repeatedly ignored the threat posed by the boy.

On January 6, the day of the tragedy that shocked public opinion, teacher Abigail Zwerner and her classmates warned officials at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, three times that the CP student might be armed and threatened to his classmates, said Diane Toscano, the teacher’s attorney.

“But the school administration didn’t seem to care,” the attorney continued, detailing her legal complaint, during a news conference on Wednesday.

The student, in possession of a 9mm Taurus pistol, fired a bullet that pierced Abigail Zwerner’s hand, before hitting her in the chest.

The 25-year-old victim claimed to have warned the establishment’s management in the morning that the boy, whose identity has not been revealed, had threatened to hit another child.

Other Warnings for Teachers

An hour later, another teacher had warned him that the boy had probably brought a gun to school without his being able to see it in his school bag.

Finally, a third teacher denounced that a student had told him through tears that he had just seen the weapon and that they threatened him with it.

Despite these warnings, the teachers did not obtain permission to search the student.

“This tragedy could have been completely prevented if school security officials had done their part and taken action when they became aware of imminent danger,” Diane Toscano said.

The teacher survived a bullet to the chest, but must undergo further operations.

Local authorities have decided to temporarily withdraw custody of the child from his parents and admit him to a medical center, pending a decision on a possible prosecution.

Given his young age, he should be considered criminally irresponsible, despite police describing the shooting as “intentional.”

Their parents, on the other hand, could be accused of violating a local law that prohibits leaving loaded weapons within the reach of children under 14 years of age.