CNN
—
The 6-year-old boy who shot and killed a teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia on Friday afternoon is in police custody, Police Chief Steve Drew said at a news conference..
“Thani is a 6-year-old student. He is now in police custody,” Drew said. “We have been in contact with our Commonwealth’s Attorney and a few other agencies to help us get the best services for this young man.”
A 30-year-old female teacher was shot inside a classroom, Drew said, adding that “this was not a random shooting.”
An argument broke out between a teacher and a student who had a gun, A round was fired.
Drew, who previously said the teacher was in critical condition, said Friday evening that his injuries were considered non-life-threatening but that there was “some improvement at the last update we had.”
The principal said there were no other students involved.
The investigation is going on, he said.
“We’ll finish the investigation and there are questions we want to ask. I want to know where that gun came from and what the situation was,” Drew added.
Richneck Elementary School will be closed Monday, Newport News Public Schools Superintendent Dr. George Parker said.
“I’m in shock, I’m devastated,” Parker said at a news conference Friday. “We need to educate our children and keep them safe.”
“We need the community’s support, continued support, to make sure that young people don’t get guns, and today I sound like a broken record because I’m going to say it again: we need to keep guns out of the hands of our young people,” said the superintendent.
Authorities are also investigating what happened before the shooting, Parker added.
