The incident occurred at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News on Jan. 6. The student had allegedly been removed from the school a year prior after he "choked his teacher until she couldn't breathe," according to the letter. Both positions went into effect on July 1, and both administrators already worked for NNPS. In the direct aftermath of the shooting, two second-grade classes were left briefly wandering the hallways in search of a safe place to hide because their classroom was not equipped with doors and they had not rehearsed safety drills, according to one second-grade teacher, one fifth-grade teacher and a parent of a second-grade student, as well as text messages obtained by The Post. Principal at Virginia school where 6-year-old shot teacher removed as Those attorneys also plan to depose some first-grade students, according to their motion. It was not clear what specific incident triggered the schedule change. Biden announces aggressive new, Newsfeed Now: Biden to launch new plan against COVID-19, Newsfeed Now: Health experts concerned about COVID-19, Newsfeed Now: Pres. 9. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Richneck Elementary shooting: What we know I still havent gotten any info about [the students] half day schedule, Zwerner wrote. Richneck Elementary father learned about shooting from the news "We don't believe the law supports charging a 6-year-old with a criminal offense as serious as this one," Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn told ABC Hampton, Virginia, affiliate WVEC in a phone call. A 6-year-old student, who police believe later shot his first grade teacher, arrived to Richneck Elementary School at 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 6. School to remain closed through end of week. First hearing held in Richneck Elementary School shooting lawsuit Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Guardians picked up their children at the reunification site at the gym door. But educators had long been vexed by the student, who previously attempted to strangle his kindergarten teacher, according to two school employees and records obtained by The Post. The motion also requested the personnel files of former Richneck Principal Principal Briana Foster-Newton, who claims she was not told about the student having a gun prior to the incident, and former Richneck Assistant Principal Dr. Ebony Parker who the lawsuit alleges was made aware that the 6-year-old student had a gun by several teachers and staff at the school. Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew shared the following details during the conference: Additionally, Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones commended the police for doing an "amazing" job responding to the situation. The shooter also threatened the other classmates that if they told on him, he would shoot them, the statement says. The Washington Post interviewed 34 people including teachers, parents and children at Richneck and obtained dozens of text messages, school emails and documents to reconstruct what happened inside Richneck that day and in the days and weeks before the shooting, revealing new details about the administrations failure to manage the 6-year-olds disciplinary issues and to respond to other reports of troubling student behavior. Our Mission: The staff and community of Richneck Elementary School believe that all children can achieve academic success and become productive citizens. "The road to full recovery will be long, and as her physical condition improves, the psychological wounds cut deeply and remain fresh," Toscano said. When buying a gift for your girlfriend, consider stepping out of the traditional box and putting extra thought into a gift that will make her smile. Everybody have their ID in their hand, an officer shouted through a megaphone. After Zwerner was shot, she ushered all of her students out of the classroom, according to police. A 6-year-old in her first-grade class at Richneck Elementary School had stolen her phone and slammed it to the floor, apparently upset over a schedule change, according to text messages. Richneck Elementary School Ellenson, the lawyer for the boys family, has said the weapon was kept in the mothers closet under a gun lock. Karen Lynch, Administrator. Toscano said one teacher told administrators at 12:30 p.m. the day of the shooting that she searched the boys backpack for the gun but believed it was in his pocket. Former Richneck teacher, Newport News School Board spar over document The dates of the alleged behavior are unclear. We've received your submission. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. "Today she is in between surgeries and physical therapy appointments with a career in question," Toscano said, adding that Zwerner is at home and gaining strength. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. He raised his fist to eye level and said, Im going to punch you in the face, she recalled. When she saw him that day, she said, she looked steadily in his direction to attract his attention. 25. Zwerner was in the hospital for nearly two weeks, but is recovering at home. Lawyers for Abby Zwerner, a teacher who was shot by her 6-year-old student in Virginia, can start the process of interviewing eyewitnesses, reviewing the boy's disciplinary files and accessing other records for a $40 million lawsuit against the school system, a judge ruled . The 6-year-old's family released a statement through a spokesperson in the wake of the incident, saying, "Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children.". Whether it was properly secured is a key element in the investigation, he has said. NEWPORT NEWS, Va. Richneck Elementary School teacher Abby Zwerner and her attorney Diane Toscano have notified Newport News Public Schools of their . As the year progressed, concerns did, too. Zwerner was the last to leave her classroom, police have said. The defendants in the suit are Newport News School Board Chairperson Lisa-Surles Law, Director of Legal Services Len Wallin, Newport News City Attorney Collins Owens Jr., former Superintendent Dr. George Parker, former Richneck Assistant Principal Dr. Ebony Parker and former Richneck Principal Briana Foster-Newton. But Parker ignored the teacher, Toscano wrote, suggesting the boys pockets were too small to contain a gun: Assistant Principal Parker was made aware at the beginning of recess that Ms. Zwerner was afraid the shooter had a gun in his pocket. Prosecutor won't charge 6-year-old accused of shooting teacher That means Zwerners lawyers can go forward with dozens of requests for interviews, written responses to questions and documents. A lawyer for Zwerner said Wednesday the young teacher would sue the Newport News School District. List of mass shootings in Germany Meanwhile, outside at recess, the 6-year-old approached three other students and told them he intended to shoot Zwerner, according to Emily Mapp Brannon, an attorney who is representing the parents of four Richneck families. Zwerners attorneys filed a motion asking a judge to compel the school board to share several documents and pieces of information, including the names and addresses of every first-grade teacher in the school system. It remains unclear how the boy was able to obtain the weapon. (Billy Schuerman/Virginian-Pilot/AP) The mother of . The source said Tuesday that Abigail Zwerner sent the text about an hour before she was shot on Jan. 6, saying that the student said he had a gun in his backpack and that administrators at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News weren't helping. But a dispute has arisen over many of the documents that Zwerners attorneys want from the school division as part of discovery, or the information sharing between the two sides before trial. The students who were in the classroom when teacher Abigail Zwerner was shot have also returned to school, but are being taught in a different classroom by an experienced teacher, school spokesperson Michele Price told The Post. My wife told me to get to the school because there was a shooter at Richneck Elementary, Garcia said. Abby Zwerner filed a lawsuit for $40 million in damages from school officials, accusing them of gross negligence for allegedly ignoring multiple warnings on the day of the shooting. In a statement given on behalf of former Richneck Elementary principal Briana Foster-Newton, Foster-Newton's lawyer Pamela Branch said they are "exploring the possibility" of acountersuit to Abby Zwerner's lawsuit against Foster-Newton and other administrators and school board members. Zwerners attorneys plan to depose all of the first-grade teachers working at Richneck to ask them if they expect to be shot at work. Zwerner claimed the student had a history of violent behavior at the school and accused the school's assistant principal of failure to act despite being told repeatedly that the student had a gun at school, her lawyer alleged in a letter notifying the district of the intent to file a lawsuit last month. The NNPS Leadership Team, the Student Conduct and Discipline Office and the police department have been notified," Lynch said in the letter. View this post on InstagramA post shared by WTKR News 3 (@wtkr3). The boy used a legally obtained firearm that was owned by his mother and kept in the house. On Jan. 6, for unknown reasons, the parents discontinued that plan: The week of the shooting was the first week when we were not in class with him, the statement said. Toscano announced her plans to file a lawsuit against Newport News Public School on Zwerner's behalf. 6-year-old shoots his teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport Down the hall from Zwerners classroom, two classes of second-graders had no idea where to go, according to one of the second-grade teachers. In 2022, there were 60 shootings at K-12 schools, the CNN analysis shows. Two people were injured in a shooting at Heritage High School in September 2021 and a teen . Multiple sources confirmed to us that the . Fallout from Richneck Elementary shooting by first-grader includes staff shakeup A Central Virginia special education advocate said it would be "highly inappropriate" for a parent to attend. "We're trying to focus this on a mental issue more than just the violence part of it," said Devon Kelley, a Stop the Violence Peace Rally organizer. A trial may not happen until the end of 2024 or in 2025 due to the judge's schedule. Judge rules Newport News School Board has to hand over info in Zwerner According to school spokesperson Michelle Price, Richneck Elementary School's Assistant Principal Dr. Ebony Parker had resigned. School Board Chair Lisa-Surles Law said roses were handed out to the students, and all parents were allowed to walk their children to their classrooms. ABBY ZWERNER'S LAWYER GIVES FIRST PUBLIC STATEMENT. Still, school shootings by a . Deja Taylor, the mother of the 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher at Richneck Elementary School, turned herself into custody.

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