By: LaVie Saad
On January 6th, 2023, a six-year-old was taken into custody after he shot and severely injured his first grade teacher, Abby Zwerner. This event occurred in Virginia at Richneck Elementary School. According to Police Chief Steve Drew, the shooting was not accidental. Instead, Zwerner was shot after she tried to confiscate her student’s firearm. Because the shooter is so young, the authorities are unsure of the proper path to take (though they know proper help must be found for the student immediately). Unidentified, the six-year-old boy only shot one teacher and no other students were involved. Zwerner is in stable condition according to the police, though an ongoing investigation is currently underway. Police Chief Drew, though, still has plenty of unanswered questions. The most important questions at the moment are “where did the firearm come from?” and “what were the circumstances?”. The Newport News community has expressed their shock, though they are primarily concerned for the six-year-old boy. The community wishes that he receives the help, support, and care that he needs to move forward. Newport News Public Schools Superintendent Dr. George Parker said he was saddened by the shooting and wished gun safety measures would soon improve. He also stated children must be educated about harmful weapons, since it is possible a six-year-old such as the shooter simply does not understand the consequences firearms can bring. Officials have also expressed they will soon begin to research past instances that may have influenced the shooting.
In response to the incident, the elementary school will be closed Monday and Tuesday. According to Principal Briana Foster Newton, these two days will give the community time to heal (which Newport News desperately needs). The state governor, Glenn Youngkin, has announced the situation will be monitored over the next few days. This article was, in summary, awful to read. Though the topic is quite interesting, I was frightened to learn that a six-year-old child decided to shoot his teacher with a weapon. I believe there are buried circumstances that the news either did not reach or was unable to find, since the average six-year-old would not feel the need to harm an adult. However, as previously mentioned by the authorities, it is possible that the shooter did not understand the consequences of his actions before he shot his teacher. Either way, I am shocked and appalled that his guardian(s) allowed him to access the gun so easily. Perhaps they did not mean for their child to find their weapon, but they are terribly irresponsible either way. I also believe it is crucial to teach children gun safety as well as intense consequences that may follow an action. In addition to this, there is a major flaw in the firearm business that allows almost any individual with money to purchase a weapon. I find this quite problematic, since it is easy to harm large groups of people with a single gun (and a seller may not always know a buyer’s intentions). This event never should have occurred, and I hope visible change will soon become visible. One question I have is what were the circumstances?
There are plenty of possibilities that may explain why a six-year-old decided to shoot his teacher, and I believe it would be highly beneficial to learn and understand any backstory available. My next question is how will society approach this issue? Horrific events are not terribly rare, but action unfortunately is. I would like to see how society will work to change the firearm issue in America after this event. Finally, I would like to know what will happen to the parents of the six-year-old boy. I believe my answer would depend on the circumstances, but even if the child accidentally found the gun would the parents receive punishment? I truly hope America resolves the firearm issue quickly, as events similar to this one threaten order as we know it.
Works Cited:
Andone, Dakin, and Caroll Alvarado. “Gun Allegedly Used by 6-Year-Old in Virginia School Shooting Was Bought by Child's Mother, Police Say.” CNN, Cable News Network, 10 Jan. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/09/us/newport-news-virginia-shooting-monday/index.html.