The 6-year-old who shot his teacher in Newport News, VA, will not face any charges, and it is unclear if any adults will be held criminally responsible.
Prosecutors claim that due to his age, it would be “too problematic” to press charges against him since he would not be able to comprehend the legal system, the nature of the accusations, or be able to help his attorney sufficiently.
“We do not believe the law supports charging and convicting a 6-year-old with aggravated assault,” said Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn.
Virginia law does not prohibit charging a child this young.
Abigail Zwerner, the teacher shot at Richneck Elementary School, had previously warned administrators about the boy and even informed them that day of the incident that he might have been armed.
In a statement, the boy’s parents maintained that he suffered from an “acute disability” but refused to elaborate and continued to claim that the gun he used was “secure.”
