Abby Zwerner shooting: Parents of 6yr old boy who shot teacher release statement saying that he has acute disability requiring parent as chaperone and insisting that the gun used in shooting was secured as school officials are criticized for failing to prevent the shooting with parents demanding that they resign.
The parents of the 6-year-old Virginia boy who shot his school teacher Abigail Zwerner said Thursday that their son is severely disabled — and claimed that the gun used in the shooting had been ‘secured,’ according to a statement from their attorney.
The statement did not specify where the 9mm Taurus handgun was kept or how the child could have gained access to it.
‘Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children,’ the statement released through NBC said.
‘The firearm our son accessed was secured.’
The family also said that the unnamed first-grader ‘suffers from an acute disability and 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.’
How did an acutely disabled boy end up being mainstreamed?
According to the parents, 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.’
The statement from the family also addressed the boy’s relationship with his teacher, who is still recovering from gunshot wounds nearly two weeks later.
‘Our heart goes out to our son’s teacher and 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,’ the family said.
‘She has worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son. 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.’
Which is to wonder what treatment was the boy previously receiving, if any and how was it that an acutely disabled boy wasn’t attending a special needs school?
Parents demand school administrators resign
The missive was released through the office of Newport News-based attorney James Ellenson. It marks the first time the boy’s family publicly spoke out since the Jan. 6 shooting at Richneck Elementary School that underscores the unrelenting gun violence in the U.S and now pervading elementary schools.
Police previously 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 misdemeanor punishable with a maximum one-year prison sentence and $2,500 fine.
To date, no charges have been filed against the mother, but Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew has indicated that the investigation is ongoing.
During a virtual town hall meeting on Wednesday since the shooting, parents expressed outrage and demanded the Newport News superintendent and the entire school board resign CNN reported.
Parents demanded to know whether the boy’s parents would be held accountable, or if the mother would be charged. Police Chief Drew who attended the meeting responded by saying that he wanted to ensure that the city’s detectives were able to conduct a thorough investigation.
“students who assaulted classmates and staff were routinely allowed to stay in the classroom with few consequences.the shooting of Abigail Zwerner could have been prevented if not for a toxic environment in which teachers’ concerns are systemically ignored https://t.co/Fxk4cNzWgq
— Sue Sullivan (@Sue_Sullivan) January 19, 2023
Abby Zwerner shooting should have been prevented parents insist
‘I am not going to rush them,’ Drew said.
He added his department has a great relationship with local prosecutors, and that he has ‘tremendous faith’ that ‘they will make the right decision based on the evidence that they have in front of them.’
Drew said investigators have nearly finished interviewing the children who were in the classroom where the shooting took place. He said police are working with a psychologist to talk to them about what they saw.
‘This is an 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 according to the nypost.
Zwerner was shot while teaching her first-grade class at Richneck Elementary on January 6. Authorities said there was no warning and no struggle before the boy pointed the gun at the 25-year-old teacher.
The bullet pierced her hand and struck her chest, police said. The wounded Zwerner ushered her students out of the classroom before collapsing and being rushed to the hospital.
The teacher was released from the hospital this week, a spokesperson for the Riverside Regional Medical Center said Thursday.
‘She continues her recovery as an outpatient with the support of family, friends, and health professionals,’ the spokesperson said according to NBC.
Police Chief Drew previously described the shooting as ‘intentional.’ A judge will determine what’s next for the 6-year-old shooter, with legal scholars previously saying that it is highly improbable that the boy will ever face charges.
Newport News Schools Superintendent George Parker III revealed last week that Richneck administrators had been tipped off that the boy may have had a weapon hours before the shooting. But a search of his backpack failed to locate the handgun.
Previous reports told of a child at the school, whose identity was not revealed bringing bullets to the school a week before the shooting, while saying that next time they would bring a gun. It remained unclear what action, if any was taken against the child.
The shooting has since led to parents and teachers criticizing school system administrators for their misguided emphasis on attendance and other education statistics over the safety of children and staff along with the school’s failure to prevent the shooting.
