OAN Annytama Bhomik
UPDATED 4:03 PM PT – Friday, January 6, 2023
A Virginia elementary school teacher is in critical condition after being shot by a 6-year-old student.
The boy was taken into custody and the female employee was rushed to Riverside Regional Medical Center. The extent of her injuries is not known at this time.
The incident took place around 2:00 p.m. (EST) at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. A city about 40 miles north of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, known for its many U.S. Navy Shipyards.
According to the Police Chief Steve Drew, officers arrived at the school “within minutes” of receiving a call reporting gunshot. All the students were relocated to the gym, then reunited with their families when it safe. The Police Chief praised the faculty and staff of the school for their “heroic” actions in relocating the pupils to the gym and maintaining order.
“The main thing right now is we got all these kids safe and the number one priority for me is to check on our victim at the hospital and get all these students back with their families.” He said.
At a news conference the police department revealed that the shooter had been the 6-year-old first grader. The Chief also stated that the shooting was not accidental.
“It’s a dark day for Newport News, we’re going to learn from this and we’re going to come back stronger.” Mayor Phillip Jones said at a press conference.
He concluded by saying that as the neighborhood deals with the crises’ repercussions, Richneck children will not be attending class on Monday.