Abigail Zwerner gives first interview about shooting at Richneck Elementary

“Some days are not so good when you can’t get out of bed,” Zwarner said. “The day I get out of bed and be on time is a better day than any other. , I try to have a positive outlook.”

Prosecutors are weighing whether to file charges in the Jan. 6 shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. Police closed his investigation in late February.

As classes ended for the day, shooting erupted. Zwerner was teaching a lesson when a boy pulled out her gun and fired at her, hitting her in the hands and chest, police said.

At a press conference after the shooting, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew hailed Zwarner as a hero, she helped guide the students to safety, and was the last one to leave the classroom.

Zwerner was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition and school officials held the boy in custody until police arrived on the scene, police said.

Zwerner’s attorney said in court documents that authorities ignored multiple warnings that the boy was in possession of a gun on the day of the shooting. A spokeswoman for the Newport News school did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

How Richneck Elementary Couldn’t Stop A 6-Year-Old From Shooting Her Teacher

The shooting sparked a storm of controversy in the Newport News, with some parents and teachers blaming the local school district for failing to address the problem of violence in the city’s schools. The Newport News Board of Education fired its superintendent after the shooting, and Richneck’s vice-principal resigned.

Former Virginia principal unaware 6-year-old boy had gun, lawyer says

Virginia law presumes that children under the age of seven cannot form intent to commit a crime, so legal experts say juveniles are unlikely to face criminal charges. The boy’s mother could be charged with failing to secure the weapon properly or neglecting the child.

The boy’s family attorney, James Ellenson, previously said the gun was safely stored on the top shelf of his mother’s closet with a trigger lock, but how the boy got his hands on the gun is unknown. It is unclear whether the characterization was done. Police declined to comment on the characterization.

Ellenson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

In a statement, the family expressed their regret at the shooting.