© (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot via APPolice respond to a shooting at Richneck Elementary School, on Friday, Jan. 6, in Newport News, Virginia.
Officials at the elementary school in Newport News, Virginia, where a first-grade teacher was shot by her six-year-old student apparently downplayed previous complaints issued by the teacher about the boy, the Washington Post said Saturday.
Abigail Zwerner, 25, reportedly raised concerns and requested help from school officials relating to the boy's behavior, which apparently included a threat to light a teacher on fire and watch her die.
The issue was dismissed, according to messages from fellow teachers obtained by The Post.
Comment: The Post wrote:
Zwerner had asked for support with the boy, and expressed concerns about his behavior, teachers wrote in online messages to Newport News Superintendent George Parker III.Why was this child with such obvious behavior problems even allowed to attend a regular school even with a parent accompanying him?
"She had asked for help," one school staff member wrote in the chat.
"Several times," another added.
The child, who was known to throw furniture and other objects in the classroom, once wrote a note to a teacher in which he told her hated her, wanted to set her on fire to kill her, the teachers union told The Washington Post. When she brought the disturbing letter to school administrators, they told her to drop it, according to the teacher.
It's unclear when the threat was made, the outlet noted.
Another time, the student managed to block a teacher and other students from leaving their classroom by barricading the doors. They were only freed after the teacher banged on the door, and a colleague across the hall managed to get it open.
[...]
The boy "suffers from an acute disability" and his mother or father accompanied him to class every day, they added, revealing the week of the shooting "was the first week when we were not in class with him."
"We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives," the added.
Zwerner was teaching a first-grade class when the boy pulled out a 9mm handgun owned by his mother and fired at her, hitting her first through her hand that she held up in a defensive posture and then in her upper chest.
The 25-year-old, who is now in stable condition, has been praised for escorting all of her students out of the classroom to safety even after she had been shot, as another school employee rushed in and physically restrained the boy.
Richneck Elementary School in Newport News has since faced criticism for its handling of the shooting that authorities have deemed "intentional."
Parents were already reportedly outraged when Newport News Superintendent George Parker III said the school had received a tip that the boy had a gun that day, but then failed to uncover the weapon after searching his school bag.
© Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot via APNewport News Chief of Police Steve Drew, right, and Newport News Superintendent George Parker answer questions regarding a teacher being shot by an armed six-year-old at Richneck Elementary School during a press conference on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023.
Police and school officials have not answered questions relating to the boy's behavior, and Fox News Digital could not reach Zwerner for comment.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the boy remains in emergency custody at a medical facility following a detention order earlier this month.
The family of the student spoke out for the first time this week and said that the gun had been "secured" before the boy took it to school.
"Our heart goes out to our son's teacher and we pray for her healing in the aftermath of such an unimaginable tragedy as she selflessly served our son and the children in the school," the child's family said Thursday in a statement.
"Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children," the statement added, though it did not elaborate on how it was "secured."
Greg Norman and Pilar Arias contributed to this report.
Caitlin McFall is a Reporter at Fox News Digital covering Politics, U.S. and World news.
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