Shooting at Va. Elementary School Injures One Teacher

A teacher at an elementary school in Newport News, Va., was shot on Friday, according to national news. She was transported to a local hospital, and the severity of her injuries has not yet been released. No students were injured, according to local police, and the suspect has been taken into custody. The incident occurred at Richneck Elementary School.

“We did not have a situation where someone was going around the school shooting,” Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said at a media conference. “We have a situation in one particular location where a gunshot was fired.”

Police praised faculty and staff at for moving students to the gymnasium and maintaining order, calling them “heroic,” according to ABC News.

As of this writing, the reunification process between students and parents has just begun. The police chief provided no further details about the situation or the shooter.

“We’re going to get into all that later,” he said. “The No. 1 process right now is to make sure we have counselors with our most precious thing we have, right—our students—and to get them back acquainted with their parents. That’s what we’re doing right now.”

A local North Carolina media outlet reports that a student has been identified as the suspect, according to Newport News Councilmember Curtis D. Bethany III.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

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