CNN
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A 6-year-old boy was taken into police custody after he shot a teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, Friday afternoon, Police Chief Steve Drew mentioned in a information convention.
“The individual is a 6-year-old student. He is right now in police custody,” Drew mentioned. “We have been in contact with our commonwealth attorney and some other entities to help us best get services to this young man.”
Drew mentioned the feminine teacher was shot inside a classroom and added that “this was not an accidental shooting.”
The police chief mentioned there was an altercation between the teacher and the scholar, who had the firearm, and {that a} single spherical was fired. No different college students have been concerned, he added.
“We’ll get the investigation done, there’s questions we’ll want to ask and find out about. I want to know where that firearm came from, what was the situation,” Drew added.
In a Saturday statement, the Newport News Police Department mentioned the teacher had improved and was listed in steady situation, including the chief had met together with her and her household.
“Chief Drew asked that you continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers,” police mentioned. A day earlier, the chief had described the teacher’s accidents as life-threatening.
Authorities haven’t recognized the teacher or the scholar concerned in the shooting.
“Because of the ongoing nature of the investigation, we will not be releasing any further information at this time,” the Saturday assertion from police mentioned.
The elementary faculty will stay closed Monday and Tuesday to provide the neighborhood “time to heal,” Principal Briana Foster Newton said in a press release, including that officers will replace households if the closure is prolonged.
“My heart is aching for our school community,” the principal mentioned. “My thoughts and prayers remain with our teacher who was seriously injured, and our students and our staff, who are dealing with the aftereffects of this tragedy.”
In a separate assertion, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin mentioned his administration provided help in response to the shooting and “stand at the ready to help in any way we can.”
“I am continuing to monitor the situation and am praying for the continued safety of all students and the community,” the governor said Friday.
Speaking throughout Friday’s information convention, Newport News Public Schools Superintendent Dr. George Parker mentioned he was saddened by the shooting and referred to as for higher gun security measures from the neighborhood to maintain firearms away from youngsters.
“I’m in shock, and I’m disheartened,” Parker mentioned in Friday’s information convention. “We need to educate our children and we need to keep them safe.”
“We need the community’s support, continued support, to make sure that guns are not available to youth and I’m sounding like a broken record today, because I continue to reiterate that: that we need to keep the guns out of the hands of our young people,” the superintendent mentioned.
Officials are additionally trying into any previous cases that will have transpired earlier than the shooting, Parker added.