The 6-year-old student who shot his teacher in January allegedly bragged about it afterward. Newly unsealed documents revealed what the student, a first-grader in Virginia, told the staff member who subdued him after he pulled out a gun and shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner, in the hand and chest.
After the student shot Zwerner, a reading specialist working at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News restrained the child while waiting for police to respond. The boy told the staff member, “I did it,” and admitted, “I got my mom’s gun last night.” He then bragged about shooting Zwerner. “I shot that b**** dead,” the boy allegedly said, WTKR-TV reported.
Fortunately, Zwerner did not die. But she needed multiple surgeries to recover from the gunshot wounds. Since the shooting, Zwerner has filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school system, accusing officials of gross negligence.
The lawsuit alleges that multiple school officials were tipped off that the student, who had significant behavior issues and a past history of violence, brought a gun to school the day of the shooting, but failed to intervene to prevent the shooting.
Last month, a judge ruled that Zwerner’s lawyers can begin the discovery process. However, where the case will be tried remains up in the air. Because the Newport News School Board claims Zwerner suffered from work-related injuries (yes, seriously), the case could end up before the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission and not civil court.
