Abby Zwirner was seriously injured after being shot at an elementary school
The condition of a Virginia teacher who was seriously injured when she was shot by a six-year-old schoolboy is on the mend, US authorities said.
Abby Zwirner was seriously injured after being shot at Rechneck Elementary School in Newport News on Friday.
Mayor Philip Jones told the BBC Zwirner’s recovery was “going in a positive direction”.
But he added that she remained in critical condition after the crash.
It’s unclear how the boy got the gun, but Drew said it wasn’t an “accidental gunshot.”
The teacher, whose name has not been disclosed and is believed to be in her 30s, sustained life-threatening injuries.
She was taken to a local hospital and doctors are closely monitoring her condition. The incident occurred in a first grade classroom (ages six to seven) after an argument between the boy and the teacher.
Police declined to reveal a motive, but Chief Steve Drew told reporters the shooting occurred after an “alteration” in first grade (ages six to seven) and did not appear to have been an accident.
Officials said that although the school, which houses around 550 students, has metal-detecting equipment, screening of students is haphazard and not all children are searched.
Police declined to name the weapon used in the incident, but said the boy had used a pistol.
He said the school would be closed on Monday and pledged support for students and parents to help them deal with the traumatic event.
Steve Gonzalez, whose son was in the classroom at the time of the shooting, told Fox News that Ms. Zwirner acted selflessly after the shooting.
She said after the bullet hit her, she “shouted at the kids in the class to run.”
Mayor Philip Jones, who has only been in office for five days, said the shooting marked “a dark day for Newport News.”
“We will learn from this and come back stronger,” he told reporters.
Mayor Jones said police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, but that “we don’t have all the answers on how a six-year-old handled a firearm or how a six-year-old got access to a firearm”.
Newport News has a population of approximately 180,000 and is located approximately 75 miles (122 km) south of the state capital, Richmond.
