‘Paralyzed By Apathy’: School Officials Were Warned About Gun 3 Times Before 6-Year-Old Shot Teacher, Lawyer Says

Administrators A Virginia elementary school was warned three times about a first-grade student with a gun. failed to act before he shot his teacher, the teacher’s lawyer said Wednesday.

Diane Toscano was the lawyer for Abigail Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School. She claimed that school administrators had been warned about the gun multiple times, but they were not notified. “paralyzed by apathy” The Associated Press reported that he declined to call the police or lock down his school. reported. Toscano revealed that her client will sue Newport News after she was shot in the head by a 6-year old boy while teaching January 6.

“On that day, over the course of a few hours, three different times — three times — school administration was warned by concerned teachers and employees that the boy had a gun on him at the school and was threatening people. But the administration could not be bothered,” Toscano said.

George Parker, Superintendent of Newport News Public Schools told Parents attending a meeting earlier this year that included children. “at least one” school official knew of a potential gun on the school’s campus before the shooting.

Zwerner, aged six years old, first approached an administrator at 11:15 am on the morning of the shooting. She said that the 6-year-old had threatened to beat another student. Toscano stated that Zwerner raised her concerns and that no action was taken by the school administrator.

According to the lawyer, one of Zwerner’s colleagues told a school administrator around noon that she searched the boy’s bookbag and said that she believed he put the gun in his pocket before recess. Administrator “downplayed” the teacher’s suspicion, saying that the boy “has little pockets,” Toscano said.

A teacher from another school told an administrator one hour later that the boy had shown a classmate the gun during recess, and threatened to shoot him if anyone else knew. The threatened classmate came to his teacher. “crying and fearful,” according to Zwerner’s lawyer, but school officials still did nothing.

Another school employee informed the administration that the 6-year-old student may have a gun. The administrator was asked to search the boy by the administrator, who allegedly refused.

“What did administrators do?” Toscano asked Wednesday, at a news conference. “Did administrators call the police? No. Did administrators lock down the school? No. Did administrators evacuate the building? No. Did they confront the student? No.”

The 6-year old student shot one bullet into his teacher’s chest in front of her entire class at 2:00 p.m. The AP reported that Zwerner is still recovering at home, having been hospitalized for two week.

“Three weeks ago, Abby was a cheery young woman with a big heart and loved educating young people — she had a very bright future and a career she loved,” Toscano said. “Today, she is between surgeries and physical therapy appointments, with a career in question. How could anyone find the courage to confidently face a class of students again?”

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