Newport News shooting: Elementary student describes lockdown horror at Virginia school where police say a 6-year-old shot a teacher

CNN
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While the police are investigating the circumstances leading to 6-year-an old boy allegedly shot and wounded a teacher at Richneck Primary School in Newport News, Virginia Friday student the school described the harrowing moment when the lockdown was announced.

“We were doing mathematics … the announcer came on She was like“isolation, I repeat isolation,” said fifth grader Nova Jones. who was located in another class. “I was scared … it was like my first blocking and I’m not know what to do so i just hid under my table like everyone was.”

Nova told CNN in interview with she and she mother That’s her first believe that there is a person with a gun at school.

“I thought that… the man was going to shoot us” Nova said.

The teacher is hurt in Friday shooting, whose injury originally described as life-threatening, has been listed in stable by Saturday, according to the Newport News Police Department.

Authorities and Newport News public the school district did not name the teacher, but her alma mater, James Madison University, identified her as Abby Zwerner.

6-year- The old man was taken into police custody, police chief Steve Drew said. in a news conference, adding that “it was not an accidental shooting.”

There was an argument between the teacher and student, who he had a firearm, Drew said. One round was fired and other students did not participate, he added.

After the shooting, all students of the school were evacuated from their classrooms. with their teachers and took them to the gymnasium, where they with consultants and officers, Drew told CNN affiliate WTKR.

Shooting came just six days in new year, with police flooded the campus, which was still saying “Happy New Year” sign outside.

As the officers rushed to the school, Nova texted her motherby telling her that he was blocked. “I wrote to her: “Mom, help.’”

After receiving the message “I couldn’t breathe, I was in shock, her motherKasheba Jones said.

Although she was able to return home safely, Nova said she had trouble sleeping that night, she was worried that “he still gun and he was going to come to me house”.

“I had like memories,” Nova said.

Nova one of numerous children grab with injury of school shooting. shooting in US schools, although still a rarity compared to with other incidents of gun violence, became distant more common than they in any other country. There were at least 60 shootings in K-12 schools in 2022, according to CNN analysis.

While the investigation continues, the elementary school remain closed on monday and tuesday give in community “time heal” said director Briana Foster Newton. in statement.

Meanwhile, community members are fighting with age of suspect.

Nova said she struggling understand how someone like that young may have gun or pull trigger.

Her mother repeated these questions.

“The first of all where he took gun from and how he did know how aim and fire?” Jones said.

Investigators will investigate how the child received a firearm, Drew said.

“Almost impossible to keep in mind fact what 6 year an old first grader brought a loaded pistol to school and shot at the teacher; however, this is exactly what our community fights with today,” Newport News Mayor Phillip D. Jones said. in a statement posted on Twitter.

Authorities are “working hard to get an answer to the question we are all asking – how this happened? We also working on ensure the child gets the support and services they need as long as we continue to process what took place”, Jones said.

“We were in contact with our Commonwealth Charge d’Affaires and some other organizations to help us best get services for this young dude,” Drew said on Friday.