Another School Shooting

Tecumsehsbones

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Mar 18, 2013
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NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A 6-year-old student shot and wounded a teacher at his school in Virginia during an altercation inside a first-grade classroom Friday, police and school officials in the city of Newport News said.
Best age to do it. Six-year-olds can't be criminally responsible in Virginia.

Damn lefty bleeding-heart do-gooders!
 
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Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
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Best age to do it. Six-year-olds can't be criminally responsible in Virginia.

Damn lefty bleeding-heart do-gooders!
Well, it reads like Virginia does not have a waiting period between the background check and actual acquisition of a firearm….And a six year old “should” come up clean on the background check. He should not have previously been convicted of a felony I’m assuming, or have a restraining order against him, etc…
 
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Tecumsehsbones

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Lady took a 9mm round through her hand and into her upper thorax, and hustled all the other kids out of the room into another classroom. She was the last to leave. With a thoracic wound.

Clearly one of those lazy wokesters sucking on the gummint teat and not doing any work. As was the other school employee who went in and restrained the kid before the cops could get there and fear for their lives.
 
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Serryah

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Lady took a 9mm round through her hand and into her upper thorax, and hustled all the other kids out of the room into another classroom. She was the last to leave. With a thoracic wound.

Clearly one of those lazy wokesters sucking on the gummint teat and not doing any work. As was the other school employee who went in and restrained the kid before the cops could get there and fear for their lives.

Don't forget her likely being a groomer too.
 

spaminator

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Anger grows in Virginia city where first-grader shot teacher
During school board meeting, teachers and parents said students who assaulted classmates and staff were routinely allowed to stay

Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Ben Finley And Denise Lavoie
Published Jan 18, 2023 • 5 minute read

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — When a 6-year-old shot and wounded his first-grade teacher in this shipbuilding city near Virginia’s coast, the community reacted with collective shock.


But the sentiment percolated over 12 days into rage from parents and particularly from teachers, with many lambasting school administrators Tuesday night for what they called a misguided emphasis on attendance and other education statistics over the safety of children and staff.


During a three-hour school board meeting dedicated solely to public comment, Newport News teachers and parents said students who assaulted classmates and staff were routinely allowed to stay in the classroom with few consequences. They said the shooting of Abigail Zwerner could have been prevented if not for a toxic environment in which teachers’ concerns are systemically ignored.

“Every day in every one of our schools, teachers, students and other staff members are being hurt,” high school librarian Nicole Cooke told the board. “Every day, they’re hit. They’re bitten. They’re beaten. And they’re allowed to stay so that our numbers look good.”


Addressing superintendent George Parker, Cooke said: “If Abigail had been respected, she wouldn’t be in the hospital right now.”

The shooting occurred on Jan. 6 as Zwerner taught her first-grade class at Richneck Elementary. There was no warning and no struggle before the 6-year-old pointed the gun at his teacher and fired one round, police said.


The bullet pierced Zwerner’s hand and struck her chest. The 25-year-old hustled her students out of the classroom before being rushed to the hospital.

Newport News police said the 6-year-old’s mother legally purchased the gun but that it was unclear how her son gained access to it. A Virginia law prohibits leaving a loaded gun where it is accessible to a child under 14, a misdemeanour crime punishable with a maximum one-year prison sentence and $2,500 fine. No charges have been brought against the mother so far.


Community reaction shifted into anger late last week after the superintendent revealed that Richneck administrators had learned the child may have had a weapon in his possession before the shooting. But a search did not find the 9mm handgun despite staff looking through his bag.

Zwerner’s shooting was “completely preventable — if the red flags had been taken seriously and proper procedures clearly communicated and followed,” Amber Thomas, a former school psychologist in Newport News, told the board.

Thomas left the school system early in 2022 after working there for a decade. In an interview with The Associated Press, she recalled a time when a “teacher was assaulted by a student — and that student faced no disciplinary action at all.”


“There were situations in which the administrators walked away from things that were happening,” said Thomas, who served three elementary schools at a time, although not Richneck. “A school counsellor and I were often called to intervene with explosive behaviours. And the administrator would see what was going on and turn around and walk the other way and never assist or do anything to follow up.”

Cindy Connell, a middle school teacher who also addressed the board, told the AP that the school system’s leadership is too afraid of angering parents and too focused on limiting discipline such as suspensions.

“I think that our administrators are under an intense pressure to make everything appear better than it is in reality,” Connell said. “And that approach, over the course of a number of years, has put us where we are today.”



Connell said there’s a general fear over the public’s response to doing something like searching a 6-year-old for a weapon — and a weapon not being found. There are also concerns that pulling kids with serious behavioral problems out of the classroom will imperil a school’s accreditation.

The shooting by a first-grader was not a shock to Connell.

“I have teacher friends who have been hit by kindergarteners, kicked by kindergarteners, punched by kindergarteners, stabbed with pencils by kindergarteners,” she said. “So the only difference is that this child had access to a weapon at home. So, if you put those two things together, I’m not surprised.”


Michelle Price, a spokeswoman for the school board, did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press asking for comment on the various criticisms expressed Tuesday night.

Newport News is a racially diverse city of about 185,000 people — about 45% white and 41% Black — that sits along the James River near the Chesapeake Bay. It’s probably best known for its sprawling shipyard, which builds the nation’s aircraft carriers and other U.S. Navy vessels.

About 15% of the population lives in poverty, according to U.S. Census data. More than 400 of the nearly 1,000 incidents of violent crime in the city in 2021 involved a handgun or firearm, according to FBI statistics.

“Gun violence has become a constant for our students,” William Fenker, an eighth-grade science teacher, told the board. “It has been a salient issue in our community for some time now … Gun violence has even made its way into our schools.”


Newport News schools endured two other shootings in the 17 months before Zwerner was struck by a bullet at Richneck Elementary.

In September 2021, two 17-year-old students were wounded when a 15-year-old boy fired shots in a crowded high school hallway after he had a fight with one of the students.

Two months after that shooting, an 18-year-old student fatally shot a 17-year-old in the parking lot of a different high school after a football game. Police said the teens exchanged “gestures” in the gym before an altercation broke out.

“Our students do not wonder if there will be another school shooting,” Fenker told the board. “They wonder when and where the next shooting will be.”

Last week, the school board announced that 90 walk-through metal detectors would be placed in schools across Newport News, starting with the elementary school where Zwerner was shot.


But that failed to satisfy many parents at Tuesday night’s board meeting.

Doug Marmon, who has two children in school and two others who have graduated, called for the removal of the school system’s executive leadership “for their failure of imagination of what could happen.”

Marmon suggested the placement of two security officers at each elementary school. He also wants the school system to change how it addresses student behavior, which he said has “proven ineffective.”

“Students need to held accountable for their actions, regardless of age or circumstances — not transferred to another school or placed in a different classroom,” he said. “Equality in our schools should not include the suffering of the majority for the lack of discipline for the few.”

Another parent, David Wilson, said the problem starts with at home. But he also questioned the impact of removing children who misbehave from the classroom.

“We can do what everybody wants to do — we can start suspending more kids, sending them home,” Wilson said.

“So you just prevented a school shooting but you just caused a 7-Eleven shooting,” he said. “You didn’t solve the issue. You shifted the issue from one thing to another.”

— Lavoie reported from Richmond, Virginia.
 

petros

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Nov 21, 2008
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Low Earth Orbit
Anger grows in Virginia city where first-grader shot teacher
During school board meeting, teachers and parents said students who assaulted classmates and staff were routinely allowed to stay

Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Ben Finley And Denise Lavoie
Published Jan 18, 2023 • 5 minute read

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — When a 6-year-old shot and wounded his first-grade teacher in this shipbuilding city near Virginia’s coast, the community reacted with collective shock.


But the sentiment percolated over 12 days into rage from parents and particularly from teachers, with many lambasting school administrators Tuesday night for what they called a misguided emphasis on attendance and other education statistics over the safety of children and staff.


During a three-hour school board meeting dedicated solely to public comment, Newport News teachers and parents said students who assaulted classmates and staff were routinely allowed to stay in the classroom with few consequences. They said the shooting of Abigail Zwerner could have been prevented if not for a toxic environment in which teachers’ concerns are systemically ignored.

“Every day in every one of our schools, teachers, students and other staff members are being hurt,” high school librarian Nicole Cooke told the board. “Every day, they’re hit. They’re bitten. They’re beaten. And they’re allowed to stay so that our numbers look good.”


Addressing superintendent George Parker, Cooke said: “If Abigail had been respected, she wouldn’t be in the hospital right now.”

The shooting occurred on Jan. 6 as Zwerner taught her first-grade class at Richneck Elementary. There was no warning and no struggle before the 6-year-old pointed the gun at his teacher and fired one round, police said.


The bullet pierced Zwerner’s hand and struck her chest. The 25-year-old hustled her students out of the classroom before being rushed to the hospital.

Newport News police said the 6-year-old’s mother legally purchased the gun but that it was unclear how her son gained access to it. A Virginia law prohibits leaving a loaded gun where it is accessible to a child under 14, a misdemeanour crime punishable with a maximum one-year prison sentence and $2,500 fine. No charges have been brought against the mother so far.


Community reaction shifted into anger late last week after the superintendent revealed that Richneck administrators had learned the child may have had a weapon in his possession before the shooting. But a search did not find the 9mm handgun despite staff looking through his bag.

Zwerner’s shooting was “completely preventable — if the red flags had been taken seriously and proper procedures clearly communicated and followed,” Amber Thomas, a former school psychologist in Newport News, told the board.

Thomas left the school system early in 2022 after working there for a decade. In an interview with The Associated Press, she recalled a time when a “teacher was assaulted by a student — and that student faced no disciplinary action at all.”


“There were situations in which the administrators walked away from things that were happening,” said Thomas, who served three elementary schools at a time, although not Richneck. “A school counsellor and I were often called to intervene with explosive behaviours. And the administrator would see what was going on and turn around and walk the other way and never assist or do anything to follow up.”

Cindy Connell, a middle school teacher who also addressed the board, told the AP that the school system’s leadership is too afraid of angering parents and too focused on limiting discipline such as suspensions.

“I think that our administrators are under an intense pressure to make everything appear better than it is in reality,” Connell said. “And that approach, over the course of a number of years, has put us where we are today.”



Connell said there’s a general fear over the public’s response to doing something like searching a 6-year-old for a weapon — and a weapon not being found. There are also concerns that pulling kids with serious behavioral problems out of the classroom will imperil a school’s accreditation.

The shooting by a first-grader was not a shock to Connell.

“I have teacher friends who have been hit by kindergarteners, kicked by kindergarteners, punched by kindergarteners, stabbed with pencils by kindergarteners,” she said. “So the only difference is that this child had access to a weapon at home. So, if you put those two things together, I’m not surprised.”


Michelle Price, a spokeswoman for the school board, did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press asking for comment on the various criticisms expressed Tuesday night.

Newport News is a racially diverse city of about 185,000 people — about 45% white and 41% Black — that sits along the James River near the Chesapeake Bay. It’s probably best known for its sprawling shipyard, which builds the nation’s aircraft carriers and other U.S. Navy vessels.

About 15% of the population lives in poverty, according to U.S. Census data. More than 400 of the nearly 1,000 incidents of violent crime in the city in 2021 involved a handgun or firearm, according to FBI statistics.

“Gun violence has become a constant for our students,” William Fenker, an eighth-grade science teacher, told the board. “It has been a salient issue in our community for some time now … Gun violence has even made its way into our schools.”


Newport News schools endured two other shootings in the 17 months before Zwerner was struck by a bullet at Richneck Elementary.

In September 2021, two 17-year-old students were wounded when a 15-year-old boy fired shots in a crowded high school hallway after he had a fight with one of the students.

Two months after that shooting, an 18-year-old student fatally shot a 17-year-old in the parking lot of a different high school after a football game. Police said the teens exchanged “gestures” in the gym before an altercation broke out.

“Our students do not wonder if there will be another school shooting,” Fenker told the board. “They wonder when and where the next shooting will be.”

Last week, the school board announced that 90 walk-through metal detectors would be placed in schools across Newport News, starting with the elementary school where Zwerner was shot.


But that failed to satisfy many parents at Tuesday night’s board meeting.

Doug Marmon, who has two children in school and two others who have graduated, called for the removal of the school system’s executive leadership “for their failure of imagination of what could happen.”

Marmon suggested the placement of two security officers at each elementary school. He also wants the school system to change how it addresses student behavior, which he said has “proven ineffective.”

“Students need to held accountable for their actions, regardless of age or circumstances — not transferred to another school or placed in a different classroom,” he said. “Equality in our schools should not include the suffering of the majority for the lack of discipline for the few.”

Another parent, David Wilson, said the problem starts with at home. But he also questioned the impact of removing children who misbehave from the classroom.

“We can do what everybody wants to do — we can start suspending more kids, sending them home,” Wilson said.

“So you just prevented a school shooting but you just caused a 7-Eleven shooting,” he said. “You didn’t solve the issue. You shifted the issue from one thing to another.”

— Lavoie reported from Richmond, Virginia.
What are schools doing to piss kids off to the point they blow gaskets and start killing?
 
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The_Foxer

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Clearly one of those lazy wokesters sucking on the gummint teat and not doing any work.
Well obviously she was so startled from being shot that she began acting like a human being :)

Man - there really is no such thing as a tragedy that the left won't pass up for political gain. Obviously you posted this here NOT to express sorrow over this tragic loss, NOT because you give a damn about the courageous teacher who lost her life, or anything like that.

You obviously don't give a shit about the person or what happened... you care about scoring political points. You feel this tragedy can be weaponized to support your left wing agenda so you post it and try to twist it to your ends.

That is really horrible. You should REALLY think about what kind of person that makes you.

And Serryah... you're no better. Sorry.
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
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6-year-old who shot teacher has ‘acute disability’: Lawyer
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Ben Finley
Published Jan 19, 2023 • 5 minute read

NORFOLK, Va. — The family of a 6-year-old boy who shot and wounded his teacher in Virginia said Thursday that the child suffered from “an acute disability” and that one of his parents usually accompanied him in class but did not the week the shooting occurred.


Also on Thursday, the hospital that had been treating the teacher said that she was released earlier this week and is continuing outpatient care.


The statement from the boy’s family was released through the office of attorney James S. Ellenson. It is the first public communication from the child’s family since the shooting occurred on Jan. 6 in the city of Newport News.

“Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children,” said the family, which was not identified. “The firearm our son accessed was secured.”

The statement did not elaborate further on where the 9mm handgun was kept or what they meant by “secured.”

Regarding the disability, the family said the boy “was under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day.”


The family said the week of the shooting “was the first week when we were not in class with him. We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives.”

It was unclear what the family meant by accompanying him to class everyday and whether that included staying with him during instruction.

The statement did not define the boy’s disability. And it did not explain what his “care plan” was and whether it was similar to other plans that serve children with disabilities.



Federal law requires public schools to make accommodations for students with disabilities and to modify curriculums, if necessary, to serve a student’s educational needs and goals, said Michael J. Kennedy, a professor of special education at the University of Virginia.


About 12% of students in U.S. public schools have what’s known as an “individualized education program,” Kennedy said. They require input from parents, teachers and other staff, such as a school psychologist.

An accommodation for students with learning disabilities could be giving them extended time to complete an assignment or a test, Kennedy said. An accommodation for students with behavioral disabilities could mean seating them close to the teacher.

It is rare, however, for students with disabilities to be accompanied by an adult, such as an instructional aide who works with children one-on-one, Kennedy said. But it does happen among a small number of students, particularly with children who have extensive needs.


Kennedy, a former special education teacher, said he’s never heard of parents serving a similar role in the classroom.

“This is the school’s responsibility,” he said. “If the child has a disability of that severity that they need full-time support, that should be agreed to by the (individualized education program) team. And then the school would provide it.”

The shooting has drawn international attention to Newport News, a shipbuilding city which sits along the James River near Chesapeake Bay. It has many people across the nation struggling to comprehend how such a thing could happen, while fueling an ongoing debate about how schools discipline children.

Police have said that the 6-year-old’s mother legally purchased the gun but that it was unclear how her son gained access to it. A Virginia law prohibits leaving a loaded gun where it is accessible to a child under 14, a misdemeanor crime punishable with a maximum one-year prison sentence and a $2,500 fine.


The shooting occurred as Abigail Zwerner was teaching her first grade class at Richneck Elementary. Authorities said there was no warning and no struggle before the boy pointed the gun at Zwerner. The bullet pierced her hand and struck her chest, police said. The 25-year-old teacher hustled her students out of the classroom before being rushed to the hospital.

The superintendent of Newport News schools revealed last week that Richneck administrators had learned the child may have had a weapon before the shooting. But a search did not find the handgun, despite staff looking through his bag.

Thursday’s statement from the boy’s family said that “we pray for her healing in the aftermath of such an unimaginable tragedy as she selflessly served our son and the children in the school.”

“She has worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son,” the family’s statement continued. “We thank her for her courage, grace and sacrifice. We grieve alongside all of the other teachers, families and administrators for how this horrific incident has impacted them, our community, and the nation.”

The family said the child has been under hospital care since the shooting and is receiving “the treatment he needs.”

“At the same time, we love our son and are asking that you please include him and our family in your prayers.”

Steve Drew, the Newport News police chief, has described the shooting as “intentional.” A judge will determine what’s next for the child.

No charges have been brought against the mother, but the investigation continues, Drew said Wednesday during a Facebook live chat with the community.

The chief was asked at least twice about whether the boy’s parents would be held accountable or the mother charged. Drew responded by saying he wanted to ensure detectives were able to conduct a thorough investigation.

“I am not going to rush them,” Drew said. His department has a great relationship with local prosecutors, he said, and he has “tremendous faith” that “they will make the right decision based on the evidence that they have in front of them.”

Investigators have nearly finished interviewing the children who were in the classroom, Drew said, and police are working with a psychologist to talk to them about what they saw.

“This is a unprecedented incident that we have had in our city, where a 6-year-old child obtained a firearm, brought it to school, pointed it, fired and shot his teacher in front of other students,” the chief said. “I have a young teacher who suffered a gunshot wound while teaching her classroom. By the grace of God, she’s still with us today.”
 

The_Foxer

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Aug 9, 2022
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“Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children,” said the family, which was not identified. “The firearm our son accessed was secured.”
Your 6 year old was able to crack the code and gain access. I think we need to work on your definition of 'secured'.