The Commonwealth’s Attorney for Newport News, Howard Gwynn, has stated that the 6-year-old boy who allegedly shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School on January 6th will not face charges.
Gwynn explained that it is not legally justifiable to charge and convict a 6-year-old with aggravated assault.
The authorities are currently focused on gathering facts and determining if anyone can be charged with a crime that can be proven beyond reasonable doubt.
The incident occurred when the young boy brought a 9mm handgun to school and intentionally shot his teacher while she was teaching the class. Zwerner was hospitalized for almost two weeks but is now recovering.
The shooting has sparked concerns about school safety and how a young child could access a firearm and harm others. The school board has since announced that every school in the district will have walk-through metal detectors installed.
According to Michelle Price, a spokesperson for the school district, Richneck now has two metal detection systems in place and two security officers assigned to the school.
Prior to the incident, there was only one security officer responsible for both Richneck and another elementary school. Unfortunately, the officer was not present at Richneck during the time of the shooting.
