Local officials are calling for stricter gun controls after a first-grade student allegedly shot his teacher at a school in Newport News, Virginia.
Newport News Police said on Saturday that the Richneck Elementary School teacher is in stable condition after being shot by her 6-year-old student Friday afternoon.
Police said on Friday that the shooting was not accidental and occurred after an altercation between the teacher and the student. The student has been taken into police custody.
In a statement on Saturday, the department said Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew had met with the victim and her family.
“She has improved and is currently listed in stable condition,” the statement read. “Chief Drew asked that you continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.”
Newport News public school superintendent George Parker said in a press conference on Friday that he was “disheartened” and “in shock” over the shooting and called for tighter gun controls.
“We need the community’s support, continued support, to make sure that guns are not available to youth and I’m sounding like a broken record today, because I continue to reiterate that: that we need to keep the guns out of the hands of our young people,” he said.
Newport News Police said on Saturday that the shooting remains under investigation.
“Because of the ongoing nature of the investigation, we will not be releasing any further information at this time,” the department said.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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