A young pupil who is a student at the school in Virginia where a six-year-old boy shot his teacher in the chest with a gun, has spoken of the moment he heard gunfire which sent his class into hiding.
Mark Garcia Jr., who is eight and in second grade, said his teacher heard the gunshots coming from down the hall and immediately got the class to stay quiet in case there was a shooter on site.
‘When it happened the teacher heard it coming from the first grade class. We were walking back to our room and when we got there we all stayed quiet.’
Garcia Jr. told CNN that he managed to stay calm and even tried to comfort others around him.
An eight-year-old student at Richneck Elementary School in Virginia, Mark Garcia Jr. has shared his experience of the shooting that occurred at the school last week
‘Two people were crying. I went to help them. When the cops came we were marched to the gym and then we were all safe.’
Mark’s father, Mark Anthony Garcia, said when he found out about the shooting, he raced to the school.
‘There was police helicopters everywhere outside, traffic was jammed up. Then there was a two-mile radius cordoned off of parked cars and people running, trying to actually get to the scene.’
Richneck Elementary is remaining closed all of this week as the school and community continue discuss ways to navigate through the crisis.
Garcia said local parents had raised concerns prior to the incident.
‘We’ve talked to the principal, we’ve talked to the guidance counselor, we’ve went to town hall meetings, we spoke on zooms, what else are we supposed to do?’ he said.
As a veteran, Garcia said that what happened at the school was the failure of multiple security measures including metal detectors, of which he says the school has just one located in the library.
Mark’s father, Mark Anthony Garcia Sr., left, said when he found out about the shooting, he raced to the school
Teacher Abby Zwerner, 25, is stable after the life-threatening attack on Friday. She was shot at point-blank range, and the bullet went through her hand and into her chest
Earlier on Monday it emerged how the boy responsible for shooting his teacher had stolen his mother’s gun from their home before putting it in his backpack and taking it along to class.
She had bought it legally in York County, and was kept in their home. It is not known why the firearm was not under lock and key.
The Richneck Elementary School student, who is not being named, is now being detained in a medical facility where professionals continue to psychologically evaluate him.
Teacher Abby Zwerner, 25, is stable after the life-threatening attack on Friday. She was shot at point-blank range as the bullet passed through her hand and into her chest.
She was giving her first grade class instructions when the child pulled the gun out of his backpack and shot her. Police have confirmed that the attack was deliberate and not accidental.
Zwerner was ‘providing class instruction when six-year-old child displayed a firearm, pointed it at her and fired one round,’ Chief Drew said at a news conference. ‘There was no physical struggle or fight.’
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said on Monday afternoon that more facts still had to be gathered before the department can determine if charges will be filed against the boy’s mother.
Mark Garcia Jr., a second grader, described how his teacher heard the gunshots and quickly got the class to stay quiet and hide
Zwerner was shot at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News around 2pm on Friday
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew told a press conference that the child shot one round, which went through the teacher’s hand and then chest
Drew also revealed that Zwerner made sure all of the children in her class were safe and out of the room before she attempted to get help for herself.
He said that the teacher’s first question when he visited her was ‘do you know how my students are.’
The six-year-old ‘combative’ boy was physically detained by another school employee following the terrifying shooting who he then hit, police confirmed.
When officers arrived on the scene, the child was placed in a police car and later interviewed alongside his mother.
The six-year-old ‘combative’ boy was physically detained by another school employee after the shooting – who he then hit, police confirmed
The teacher has been hailed a hero in the local community
Police have not released any details about the child or his parents but said that more interviews and probes are taking place.
The six-year-old will appear before a judge in the coming days.
‘It’s a very difficult thing to process,’ Newport News Mayor Philip Jones said on Sunday. ‘The fact that we have a 6-year-old individual with the ability to bring a gun into school and harm his teacher – something that we’re still grappling with.
‘There’s a lot of questions that we have to answer as a community,’ the mayor added. ‘Up with, how a 6-year-old was able to have a gun, know how to use it in such a deliberate manner … The individuals responsible will be held accountable. I can promise that.’
Meanwhile, a grandparent of a student at the school claimed that the week prior to the attack, one child brought in ‘shiny gold bullets’ and told his class and teacher he was thinking about bringing in a gun.
It is not clear if the student described by the grandparent is the same one who shot Zwerner.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, the grandmother said: ‘The parents outside stated that their child told them a kid brought golden shiny bullets to school and was thinking about bringing his gun. The student told the parent, who informed the school.
‘And the school just yesterday got back to the parent saying the parent of the kid said it was a nerf bullet and the parent said nerf bullets aren’t shiny and gold.’
Zwerner was reportedly attempting to confiscate the gun from the young child when he shot her. Police said they were working to determine why he shot his teacher.
Dr. James Fedderman, President of the Virginia Education Association, said the problem is only going to get worse if the mental health needs of students are not met soon.
‘We’re going to see an increase in crime in our schools and we really needs to take the reins and do something about it,’ he said, adding that schools do not currently have the capacity to address the ‘social-emotional needs of our students.’
Lawonda Sample-Rusk, a grandmother who was at the school early on Friday to pick up her two grandchildren, helped render aid to the wounded Zwerner.
Rusk told local news outlet WKTR that she heard Zwerner cry out ‘I’m shot, I’m shot. Call 911.’
She and the school receptionist at first thought Rusk had just been wounded on her hand, but then she ‘passed out on the floor.’
Richneck Elementary will remain closed this week as administrative leaders continue to think through how to move students past the trauma experienced Friday
Lawonda Sample-Rusk told a local outlet how she responded to the shooting of 25-year-old teacher Abby Zwerner
Rusk and the receptionist stayed with Zwerner and helped put pressure on the wound while other administrators herded young students to designated safe zones.
The terrifying Friday incident led Rusk to the area’s second annual Stop the Violence Rally.
Concerned residents, community activists and city leaders came together to share concerns about community safety following the shooting.
Police have so far declined to comment on what, if any further, contact they’ve had with Zwerner.
