Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old student identified, condition improving

A Virginia teacher shot by a 6-year-old student was on the road to recovery Saturday, authorities said as her name emerged in public.

Abby Zwerner, 25, was identified in a statement from her alma mater, James Madison University. She was shot Friday afternoon at Newport News’ Richneck Elementary School.

Zwerner’s injuries were initially described as life-threatening, but she was listed in stable condition Saturday.

“All of us at James Madison University are deeply saddened by the reported tragic shooting of JMU alumna Abby Zwerner,” the school said in a statement.

Police said a 6-year-old student shot Zwerner during “an altercation.” Authorities took the 6-year-old into custody, though under Virginia law, a child that young cannot be held in juvenile detention if convicted.

Investigators were still trying to determine how the 6-year-old acquired the gun.

“It is almost impossible to wrap our minds around the fact that a 6-year-old first grader brought a loaded handgun to school and shot a teacher,” Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones said in a statement. “However, this is exactly what our community is grappling with today.”

With News Wire Services