Virginia teacher shooting: School officials were warned 6-year-old had gun three times hours before shooting

It is unclear why the school officials did not confiscate the weapon

School Shooting Newport News (Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

School officials in Virginia knew that a 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher had a gun and were warned three separate times prior to the shooting that the boy had a weapon, says the lawyer for the wounded teacher.

Diane Toscano, a lawyer for Abigail Zwerner, told NBC15 on Wednesday that teachers and employees warned administrators three separate times that the boy who shot Ms Zerner both had a gun in his possession and was threatening fellow students.

The outlet reported that superintendent George Parker III said “at least one administrator was told on the day of the shooting that the boy might have had a weapon, but no weapon was found when his backpack was searched.”

Ms Toscano argued that “the administration could not be bothered.” Police also noted to the outlet that school officials did not alert them about any tips prior to the shooting, which allegedly happened hours after those warnings came in.

In early January, a 6-year-old student at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, brought a gun to school and used it to shoot his 25-year-old teacher, Abigail Zwerner.

Mr Parker told parents earlier this month during an online meeting that a school official had been notified about the gun before the shooting occurred.

"At least one administrator was notified of a possible weapon in the timeline that we’re reviewing and was aware that that student had — that there was a potential that there was a weapon on campus," he told parents, according to broadcaster WAVY-TV.

The online meeting had reportedly been intended for parents only, but the broadcaster managed to gain access to the meeting from a concerned parent.

It was not made clear during the meeting how officials learned about the gun or why it was not confiscated by school officials.

The city’s police chief, Steve Drew, has described the shooting as intentional. He previously revealed that the student brought the gun into school by hiding it in a backpack. The chief said the child used his mother’s gun in the shooting.

The gun had been purchased legally, according to WTOP.

Earlier on Thursday the schoolboard’s chair, Lisa Surles-Law, said that the district would install metal detectors in all of its school, beginning with Richneck.

Ms Zwerner is expected to recover from the shooting.

The teacher was called a hero after the public learned that, despite being shot, she still shepherded her other students to safety and made sure they were secure before seeking help for herself.

“I believe she did save lives, because I don’t know what else might have happened if those kids would have stayed in that room,” Mr Drew said of Ms Zwerner during a Monday news conference.