VA- 6-YEAR-OLD is in custody after shooting teacher

[fred&edna]

Here's a Fox report that quotes some of the WaPo article Simply Southern linked above.


Officials at the elementary school in Newport News, Virginia, where a first-grade teacher was shot by her six-year-old student apparently downplayed previous complaints issued by the teacher about boy, the Washington Post said Saturday.

Abigail Zwerner, 25, reportedly raised concerns and requested help from school officials relating to the boy’s behavior, which apparently included a threat to light a teacher on fire and watch her die.

The issue was dismissed, according to messages from fellow teachers obtained by The Post.

Virginia school downplayed warnings from teacher before she was shot by 6-year-old boy

Officials at the Newport News elementary school in Virginia reportedly downplayed concerns voiced by the first-grade teacher before she was shot by her six-year-old student.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Alethea]

Has it been disclosed anywhere if the 6 year old was born in this community? I am curious if he has always lived with his unidentified current family.

 

[QB2022]

I am very concerned that a 6 year old with alleged "severe disabilities" had the series of connected and complex thoughts to: find a gun in the home, understand what a gun is and how a gun is used, understand what a gun can be used for (hurting people), understand the various parts of a gun and how they are used, allegedly disable any alleged locks and safety precautions, realize that having a gun is wrong and actively hide the gun, bring the gun to school again allegedly secretly, decide to point the gun at the teacher, use two hands (presumably) to hold and fire the gun AT the teacher.

Does this sound like the series of steps an ordinary 6 year old would think to do? How would a 6 year old know how to use a handgun? Even for say a 12 year old you could assume they have likely seen violence through movies and tv but 6?

IMO this kid has seen someone threaten someone else with a gun before. This is not something a 6 year old comes up with on his own. I am going to guess that's why we haven't heard much from LE as they are investigating various circumstances in the child's life.

I have a disabled 6 year old. He has quite a mixed profile and is highly impulsive so I could forsee a scenario where a gun was lying around and a spur of the moment he randomly grabbed it and fired it. I could forsee a scenario where he wouldn't realise its a real gun and play baddies and goodies and accidently fire it.

He wouldn't, due to the nature of his needs, be able to think out, plan and carry all of those steps. He certainly wouldn't grasp the long term consequences but a gun would have to be next to him, loaded and in the perfect moment be available for it to happen. We obviously don't have a gun available.

It must take a huge amount of cognitive planning and understanding for each of those steps to be carried out perfectly. Nothing quite adds up.

 

[chipwhitley]

What caused this SIX YEAR OLD to be so angry?

 

[georgiajean]

A child that young expressing a desire to set someone on fire and watch them die...in my experience that would come from influence of violent video games, movies, etc. The young children I work with who have drawn violent images? They are copying violent images they see in film, video games, and comics. Do children this young feel rage? Yes. Do they conceptualize acting on that rage by setting someone on fire, with the intent to kill? Not without input.
All MOO.

However, I did find this article about violent expressions in young children. It is a sobering read, to realize that this does happen, more frequently than I expected. Violent Talk in Young Children | Berkeley Parents Network

 

[Hexe]

What caused this SIX YEAR OLD to be so angry?

Who decided it is okay to let this kid into classroom without the accompanying parent, that's what I'd like to know. And why his parents who had to witness these previous incidents, agreed with that decision. And why nobody thought to sens this kid to specialised care he obviously needs, for his and others safety.

 

[fred&edna]

bolding mine.
Ita.
That is a severe thought process to form in the mind of a six year old !

Most kids that age are thinking about : fun trips away, candy, sleepovers and birthday parties, new clothes or shoes, seeing their friends ...
Imo.

IKWYM! I wonder if he verbalized threats to anyone else. If so, maybe others were afraid to tell authorities and/or administrators. 'So many unanswered questions.

 

[georgiajean]

Here is an article about age and murder. How young is too young to be convicted of murder? Is There a Minimum Age for Being a Murderer?
"According to Burns, children don’t “begin to learn right from wrong…and really have a conscience” until “seven or eight years old, at the earliest.” Thus, it’s hard to make the legal case that a young child has knowledge of their wrongdoing, i.e. criminal intent—often a key component in determining criminal culpability."
"there are fewer than 20 homicides committed by preteen youth in a given year, according to estimates by the study’s authors."

This is a good article summarizing the warning signs of abnormal violence, and what to do (not surprisingly, having zero access to firearms is one...) You think your child is troubled and potentially violent. What now?

 

[airportwoman]

IF this is indeed the case, and the school Admin ignored and accepted this behavior, allowing the boy to continue in school...I would be outraged as a parent of ANY student in that school.

No wonder school has not resumed!
MOO

I have a feeling that this, and not the installation of metal detectors, is why school has not reopened, because parents right and left are finding alternate methods of education for their kids.

 

[shotgun09]

IKWYM! I wonder if he verbalized threats to anyone else. If so, maybe others were afraid to tell authorities and/or administrators. 'So many unanswered questions.

IMO, if he did verbalize threats outloud....his other classmates more than likely heard him. And, those other littles can probably remember and repeat what he said when prodded. Very easily. A six year old's mind is a sponge at that age. They absorb EVERYTHING

 

[fred&edna]

Messages obtained by the Post detail an incident prior to the shooting where the 6-year-old boy wrote a note, telling a teacher he hated her and wanted to light her on fire and watch her die. The teacher said the note was given to administrators, but they were told to drop the matter.

Other times, the boy reportedly threw furniture and other items in class, the Post reported. Another time, the boy barricaded the doors to a classroom to prevent a teacher and students from leaving.

According to the messages, Zwerner alerted school officials about the boy's behavior and repeatedly sought assistance during the school year.

6-Year-Old Wanted To Light Teacher On Fire, 'Watch Her Die' Before VA Shooting: Report

At other times, the boy accused of shooting Newport News teacher Abigail Zwerner reportedly threw furniture and other items in class.

patch.com

 

[Erutan]

What caused this SIX YEAR OLD to be so angry?

It's a mystery as of now.
But imo threats made by students no matter their age need to be taken more seriously by the school admin.

 

[fred&edna]

From the news we've seen about this case to this point, it appears no one read (nor took heed) from the 2017 report on Violent Behavior in Children and Adolescents by the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Violent Behavior in Children and Adolescents

www.aacap.org

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

When I asked about whether or not a 6-year-old can form intent, I meant in legal terms. DH and I were getting ready to go out to dinner, so I wasn't able to ask for further input. DH and I discussed this while we enjoyed our dinner. Is a 6-year-old child actually capable of forming "intent" to commit murder?

intent

www.law.cornell.edu

intent​

Intent generally refers to the mental objective behind an action. The concept of intent is often the focal point of Criminal Law and is generally shown by circumstantial evidence such as the acts or knowledge of the defendant.

In Criminal Law, criminal intent, also known as mens rea, is one of two elements that must be proven in order to secure a conviction (the other being the actual act, or actus reus). Some jurisdictions further classify intent into general and specific. It is sometimes difficult to draw a clear distinction between these modes of intent, but the Supreme Court has held that general intent corresponds loosely with knowledge of a crime whereas specific intent refers to the purpose behind committing it...

 

[Observant-ADHD-ENFP-BSc]

Some kids thrive online vs in person but if we have teacher shortages we may have no choice really.
Either that or we start taking safety in schools seriously and that also means removing troubled violent children from public schools and into specialized schools.
After COVID and school shootings, all my friends quit teaching and it's not a popular field to go into now. Needs 4-8 years of college education and low pay.

My father in law is a retired teacher and if anyone suggests they might go for teacher college or express they want to be a teacher, he does all in his power to disuade them. He says its too stressful, unappreciated, dangerous and poorly paid.

 

[Simply Southern]

Richneck students to return for orientation next week

In less than a week, students at Richneck Elementary in Newport News will transition back into the building.

www.wavy.com

Snipped..
A metal detector now in place, separation wall and doors for the second grade pod and repaid buzzer entry system–all physical changes to the school where a six year old shot his first grade teacher.
....
Lynch gave a re-entry update at this week’s NNPS school board meeting and said faculty will be in place to take over the classrooms of teachers who do not feel comfortable in returning to the building just yet.

 

[Ceska]

Wow. Why wasn't this 6 year old kid removed from school, asap, after the very first threat of violence.

 

[Observant-ADHD-ENFP-BSc]

Many teachers spoke of violent acts, at the Tuesday School Board meeting, that were ignored.

NBC showed clips on Today Show and Evening news. I watched the entire video on the NNPS site, LInk below. I felt sick at times and cried for the parents and teachers.

CloudCast v3

videoplayer.telvue.com

Just a question.
The teachers spoke of violent acts, was this regarding the six year old shooter or violent acts from others in general?
TYIA

 

[airportwoman]

IF this is indeed the case, and the school Admin ignored and accepted this behavior, allowing the boy to continue in school...I would be outraged as a parent of ANY student in that school.

No wonder school has not resumed!
MOO

I have a feeling that this, and not the installation of metal detectors, is why school has not reopened, because parents right and left are finding alternate methods of education for their kids.

My father in law is a retired teacher and if anyone suggests they might go for teacher college or express they want to be a teacher, he does all in his power to disuade them. He says its too stressful, unappreciated, dangerous and poorly paid.

Mine told my sibs and me the same thing. And the biggest issue isn't the kids, it's administration, often run by people who haven't ever worked in a classroom.

 

[Ceska]

My fear is the child's ID is protected by law, will be shuffled to another public school with no background info on his violent past.
Would they do that? Shuffle him to another school district and refuse to disclose he shot his last teacher? AS a teacher wouldn't you want to know for your own safety and your student's safety?As a parent wouldn't you want to know if he was in your child's classroom?
I'm shocked DM hasn't released the parent's name yet.

Agree. I hope they do not just place this kid into another school, that would be tragic.
I am also shocked the parent's name(s) have not been released. How will the community be safe if nothing is known?
If I was a parent in the area, I would be terrified.