A 6-year-old student shot and wounded a first-grade teacher inside a Newport News, Virginia classroom on Friday, according to police.
The shooting followed an altercation that took place between the boy and the teacher, Police Chief Steve Drew said during a press conference.
“The individual is a 6-year-old student. He is right now in police custody,” he said. “We have been in contact with our commonwealth attorney and some other entities to help us best get services to this young man.”
Drew said the shooting remains under investigation as police work to determine where the boy obtained the handgun.
The female teacher, who is in her 30s, was brought to the hospital with injuries that are considered life-threatening. Drew said that while she is listed in critical condition, there has been some improvement.
No other students were injured inside Richneck Elementary School, which serves about 550 students in grades kindergarten through fifth. The school district superintendent, Dr. George Parker, announced that the school would be closed on Monday.
The 6-year-old shooter is too young to be tried as an adult in Virginia or to be incarcerated with the Department of Juvenile Justice if convicted. However, a juvenile judge can revoke parental custody and place the child with the Department of Social Services.
