Officials Consider How to Treat a Child Who Shot His Teacher

Officials Consider How to Treat a Child Who Shot His Teacher

A six-year-old student shot his teacher in a classroom in the American state of Virginia last week.

Police Chief Steve Drew of Newport News, Virginia told reporters Monday that there was no fight, no physical struggle, and no warning.

"What we know today is that she was providing instruction. He displayed a firearm; he pointed¹ it, and he fired one round," Drew said.

The police chief said the teacher, 25-year-old Abby Zwerner, put her hand up to defend herself. The bullet went through her hand and into her upper chest. Her injuries were first thought to be life-threatening. But her condition has since improved and she is in stable condition at a hospital.

Drew also said that the boy used a 9mm handgun in the shooting. The gun was legally purchased by his mother and was in the family's home. He said the boy brought it to school in his backpack the day of the shooting.

Drew praised Zwerner for quickly moving her students out of the classroom after she was shot. He said a recorded video at the school shows she was the last person to leave her classroom. Drew said: "She turned around [to] make sure every one of those students was safe."

A school employee went into the classroom and restrained the boy after hearing the gunshot. Drew said the boy became "a little combative²" and struck the employee.

Police officers then arrived and brought him to a medical center under an emergency legal action. A judge will decide what the next steps are for the boy. Police have also talked with the boy's mother. It is unclear whether she could face any charges.

Questions remain

As questions remained about the boy and his mother, a crowd gathered Monday night in Newport News to show support for the teacher.

Lauren Palladini works with Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School. She told the crowd that Zwerner is "sweet. She's thoughtful. She's caring. And she's been one of the most amazing teachers that I've been blessed to interact with."

Amanda Bartley, who teaches at another elementary school in Newport News, asked everyone to pray for Zwerner and to "pray for the young man who did this."

Bartley told The Associated Press that many questions remain unanswered. Among them: "How did he get the gun? Why wasn't it locked up? A good gun owner knows that you lock up your weapon. You have a safety on. You keep the ammunition³ separate from the weapon itself."

Gun owners can be charged under a Virginia law for leaving a loaded, unsecured gun that could harm or injure children under the age of 14. However, the state does not have laws giving details on how an unattended gun should be stored or requiring gun owners to lock up their weapons.

Allison Anderman is the director of local policy at Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a non-profit group. She said, "Virginia definitely has a weaker law than many other states that have child access prevention laws."

Legal experts said it is possible under Virginia law to criminally charge a 6-year-old child. But they believe it is highly unlikely that any government lawyer would even try.

To be tried as an adult in Virginia, a person must be at least 14. In addition, common law in the U.S. known as the "infancy⁴ defense⁵" holds that children under seven cannot be charged with a crime. The belief is that they are so young that they cannot form criminal intent.

A judge would also have to find that a six-year-old could understand the legal action against him and assist in his own defense, said Andrew Block. He is a professor at the University of Virginia School of Law who was the director of Virginia's Department of Juvenile⁶ Justice from 2014 to 2019.

"It's virtually impossible to imagine a 6-year-old being found competent to stand trial," Block said.

Julie E. McConnell, a law professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia, has worked on youth legal cases for more than 25 years. She said government lawyers can appeal in cases that affect the child's well-being⁷ and physical safety.

A judge could then order services to deal with the child's behavior or parent's cooperation in treatment. The judge could also send a child to live with a relative, a child welfare agency, or a local social services agency.

Words in This Story

stable –adj. not getting or likely to get worse (especially related to medical condition)

backpack –n. a bag or container carried on the back

amazing –adj. causing wonder or surprise

lock up –v. (phrasal) to secure using a device like a lock

access –n. to ability to get or use something

virtually –adv. nearly

competent –adj. able to do or undergo something

1 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

2 combative   

adj.好战的；好斗的

参考例句：

• Mr. Obama has recently adopted a more combative tone.奥巴马总统近来采取了一种更有战斗性的语调。
• She believes that women are at least as combative as are.她相信女性至少和男性一样好斗。

3 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

4 infancy   

n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期

参考例句：

• He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。
• Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

7 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。