VA- 6-YEAR-OLD is in custody after shooting teacher

[Trebor5591]

And in any case, the child who shot his teacher would probably be living a very different life if he hadn't known there was a gun somewhere that he could get his hands on.

My father kept a gun in the home when I was growing up, and I knew where it was. Growing up, I had problems with one teacher with more students, but I never considered taking my father's gun to school and shooting my problem teacher or my bullies. Just saying. In my opinion, bringing a gun to school and shooting one or more persons shows there is a huge problem with the shooters character and behaivior, and bodes ill for their future plus the people they will come in contact with during their lifetime.

 

[Tweet57]

Well, I'm old school too but this isn't always 100% true.

Some of the most kind hearted humans I've ever known, come from the most horrific backgrounds.
Likewise, evil people from loving homes.

I can't explain it, but we all know it happens.

I can’t help but wonder and worry what the future holds for this little boy.

 

[Rolypolyoly]

a 4 year old and younger can fully use the internet today..i am not sure science gives you all the answers...there are violent children who bully and harm siblings or other kids at a very young age.. i have a manipulative toddler girl in the family ..she also has anger issues..I was left with her for a while and couldn't deal .. she would attack kids or run fast towards a busy road ..she almost gave me a heart attack..
she was able to manipulate the school and the social authorities that she was being mistreated at home ..how do you deal with kids like that

Well, the first thing that should be done is to speak to a Doctor, get the child assessed for any kind of special needs, ASD, ADHD, SPD, GDD, and more, to find out if the child has an invisible disability and unmet needs. To try to work together to work out what those unmet needs are and how we, the adults, can work to meet those needs.
To understand that all behaviour is communication and this child is communicating quite clearly that they need help, not to write off a "toddler" as violent and manipulative.
With so many adults ready to condemn tiny children as basically just bad, call 6 yr olds attempted murderers,as of they have any real understanding of what that really means when they have only been out of nappies for about 3 years, its really no wonder kids are struggling.

There's also a very simple solution to stopping children being in a position to shoot people.

All MOO.

 

[chipwhitley]

Will this child be able to return to his parents after receiving his mental health treatment? I guess if they are arrested he will go to family or foster care.

Such a horrible situation for all involved. I am also thinking about the other children in that classroom who witnessed their teacher get shot. Hopefully they are receiving counseling as well.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I can’t help but wonder and worry what the future holds for this little boy.

Especially when this child has somehow learned that shooting, hitting, kicking, fighting back, etc. is a way to handle perceived problems. It was bad enough that the 6-year-old shot (and could have killed!) his teacher, but he then became combative with an adult who was attempting to restrain him. Hopefully, 96 hour evaluaton in a psychiatric unit will render clues as to what is going on in this child's mind.

 

[sandy_80]

sorry but this child throws a scary tantrum if she was made to wear new clothes for ex.. or go somewhere
who can hold them down in a therapy session.. really its true you will never know a certain situation until you experience it yourself, I don't know if she been evaluated and all that.. they live in another country ..but the social services according to her complaint actually put the family under surveillance for a year
concerning this kid.. I wonder if he is somehow bigger than average.. cause how the shot went to the chest..means he was on level with the teacher somehow ?

 

[Rolypolyoly]

sorry but this child throws a scary tantrum if she was made to wear new clothes for ex.. or go somewhere
who can hold them down in a therapy session.. really its true you will never know a certain situation until you experience it yourself, I don't know if she been evaluated and all that.. they live in another country ..but the social services according to her complaint actually put the family under surveillance for a year
concerning this kid.. I wonder if he is somehow bigger than average.. cause how the shot went to the chest..means he was on level with the teacher somehow ?

Sounds very much like something that can happen with sensory processing disorder, new clothes would be a huge trigger, in my experience. MOO.

Re this child, he could be tall, but it's possibly more likely that he just pointed up.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Fmr. police chief weighs in on whether NN school shooter's mom should be charged

Questions remain about whether the mother of the 6-year-old, who police said shot a teacher at Richneck Elementary School on Friday, should be charged in the case.

www.wtkr.com

NORFOLK, Va. — Questions remain about whether the mother of the 6-year-old, who police said shot a teacher at Richneck Elementary School on Friday, should be charged in the case.

Police said the gun used in the shooting was legally purchased by the boy's mother. According to Newport News Police, the boy brought the weapon to school in his backpack.

Officials say the mother could face charges considering what occurred...

 

[scapa]

Apologies if already posted, but a longer-form piece from the WaPo that compares this shooting with some historical cases:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/01/11/elementary-students-guns-fired-school/

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

After 6-year-old Virginia boy shot teacher, the question becomes will his parents be charged?

The criminal investigation is likely to focus on whether the boy's parents properly secured the weapon used in Friday's shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Virginia.

www.nbcnews.com

The 6-year-old boy accused of shooting his Virginia teacher Friday with a gun he took from home is unlikely to be charged, but his parents could be criminally culpable depending on if they properly secured the weapon, experts said.

The student's mother legally purchased the gun used in the shooting, according to Newport News police, but officials haven’t specified how the boy got a hold of it or if it was safely secured.

Virginia, unlike Massachusetts and Oregon, doesn’t have a law that specifies how to secure guns in a home, said Allison Anderman, senior counsel and director of local policy at Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

It does have a misdemeanor law meant to protect children 14 and younger from access to firearms, Anderman said...

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I'm going to take a wild guess that maybe the gun wasn't safely secured. IMHO.

 

[AngTxGal]

Perhaps, it is my interpretation but you are victim shaming- “Where is the request for the parent/ teacher conference if there is a problem?” This puts blame on the teacher. It doesn’t matter if the teacher requested 0 or 100 conferences. Children don’t act one way at home and another at school. If there were behavior issues, then the parent knew. The questions that should be asked are: How did the child get access to the gun? and When will the gun owner be held responsible? Moo
Edited: typo

If the goal is to find someone to blame, stop at who gave him the gun. Close the case, shut the door, ignore the rest.

The questions that should be asked are ALL questions that are related, if the goal is to fully understand.

Everyone agrees this is not typical behavior for a six year old.
Everyone agrees a child of six does not act differently at school compared to home.

So…
- Had he been diagnosed? Was he on medication?
- Had there been peer and teacher issues in the past? How did the admin handle them?
- Had he hit the teacher or a classmate before?
- Had he threatened this teacher or another student before? What was the admin response?
- Had he threatened a sibling, friend, or parent? How had the parents’ responded?
- What is the criminal history of his parents and siblings?

Anyone who has taught public school knows that there are students in classrooms that are deeply and profoundly troubled and can be a threat to students and teachers.
Too many teachers tolerate disruptions, fighting, being cursed at, threatened, not in 1st grade but in middle or high school.

No, I’m not blaming the teacher. As I have the fingers that typed the post I may know what I was thinking.
More likely the system left her in a classroom with a ticking time bomb and without the support to keep herself and other students safe.
She is 25, she may not have known how to handle a student with severe behavior issues.

And yes, at a minimum his parents should have known where the gun was located.

JMO

 

[AngTxGal]

a 4 year old and younger can fully use the internet today..i am not sure science gives you all the answers...there are violent children who bully and harm siblings or other kids at a very young age.. i have a manipulative toddler girl in the family ..she also has anger issues..I was left with her for a while and couldn't deal .. she would attack kids or run fast towards a busy road ..she almost gave me a heart attack..
she was able to manipulate the school and the social authorities that she was being mistreated at home ..how do you deal with kids like that

A 4 yr old is not born with the ability to ‘fully use the internet’.
They learned from someone, watching or by being given a phone, and had help unless they are literate.
Would I ever give my phone or any other device to a toddler? Not under any circumstance.

I’ve not met a toddler who has issues without a cause found within the people they are around on a daily basis, in the home. The first red flag is a parent blaming the child for behavior that is in no way typical of a healthy child, as if the child chose to be bad.
Kids live in a system and they are masters at figuring it out, they do what works for them.
If they need attention, they do whatever it takes to get it.

Did my kids manipulate me? No way. I’m the adult, I was in charge. Does ‘in charge’ mean I hit or screamed at them or yanked their arms? No. I knew kids were a huge demand on parental energy, I had them when I was ready, willing, and able. I anticipated their needs, rearranged my life for their sake. Having the equipment to be a parent does not = being willing or able.
There is a steep learning curve, it is a very tough labor of love.
Enjoy every single moment, and even the learning moments- you miss all of them when your kids move out.

Do I believe there are kids at the age of six who are ‘evil’, or bad kids and who they are is unrelated to any nurture issue? No
Do I believe some kids choose to be evil? No.

JMO

 

[alex dvport]

If the goal is to find someone to blame, stop at who gave him the gun. Close the case, shut the door, ignore the rest.

The questions that should be asked are ALL questions that are related, if the goal is to fully understand.

Everyone agrees this is not typical behavior for a six year old.
Everyone agrees a child of six does not act differently at school compared to home.

So…
- Had he been diagnosed? Was he on medication?
- Had there been peer and teacher issues in the past? How did the admin handle them?
- Had he hit the teacher or a classmate before?
- Had he threatened this teacher or another student before? What was the admin response?
- Had he threatened a sibling, friend, or parent? How had the parents’ responded?
- What is the criminal history of his parents and siblings?

Anyone who has taught public school knows that there are students in classrooms that are deeply and profoundly troubled and can be a threat to students and teachers.
Too many teachers tolerate disruptions, fighting, being cursed at, threatened, not in 1st grade but in middle or high school.

No, I’m not blaming the teacher. As I have the fingers that typed the post I may know what I was thinking.
More likely the system left her in a classroom with a ticking time bomb and without the support to keep herself and other students safe.
She is 25, she may not have known how to handle a student with severe behavior issues.

And yes, at a minimum his parents should have known where the gun was located.

JMO

As a public school teacher, I can tell you that we don’t tolerate it.
Edited to add: I’m thinking the teacher did her part - reporting, referring, conferencing. I’m curious to see what issues existed, but don’t know if they’ll be shared.

 

[airportwoman]

FERPA, which protects students' confidentiality, has really tied a lot of hands. (Don't remember what it stands for.) <modsnip>

 

[FunkyMonkey]

Well, the first thing that should be done is to speak to a Doctor, get the child assessed for any kind of special needs, ASD, ADHD, SPD, GDD, and more, to find out if the child has an invisible disability and unmet needs. To try to work together to work out what those unmet needs are and how we, the adults, can work to meet those needs.
To understand that all behaviour is communication and this child is communicating quite clearly that they need help, not to write off a "toddler" as violent and manipulative.
With so many adults ready to condemn tiny children as basically just bad, call 6 yr olds attempted murderers,as of they have any real understanding of what that really means when they have only been out of nappies for about 3 years, its really no wonder kids are struggling.

There's also a very simple solution to stopping children being in a position to shoot people.

All MOO.

A 6 year old is far from a toddler.

 

[Rolypolyoly]

A 6 year old is far from a toddler.

Indeed. However, the poster I was replying to had specifically spoken about a "toddler" known to them personally, and this was to whom I was referring in my reply.
I did assume they meant a child under the age of 3, but I could be mistaken.

 

[forthelost]

A 6 year old is far from a toddler.

But they are much closer to toddlerdom than to adulthood, or even teenagerdom.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Quotes snipped by me

Everyone agrees a child of six does not act differently at school compared to home.

I don't necessarily agree. Plenty of children hold it all in at school and then let their feelings out after school with various behaviors appearing. There is even a name for it:
"after-school restraint collapse."
This example is in the opposite direction of a child behaving better at home than at school, but the behavior of children is very complex. I could imagine a child with sensory issues being overwhelmed by the school environment and behaving differently there compared to at home.

My point is, we need to look at each case individually.

 

[sandy_80]

everyone is entitled to their opinion
do I believe children can be born as potential psychopath without any effect from anyone else ? yes
we saw cases that proves this.. monsters coming from loving homes
is it possible that if those kids received some kind of help or therapy or were held in institutions ,,that would turned the outcome around ? maybe but we will never know cause such things are still not dealt with or taken seriously
I keep referencing the mother of an adult killer that I ve seen on some crime show.. the woman knew her child was dangerous from a very early age..he tried to kill siblings or show other signs of a bidding killer.. no one listened to her until years later he committed his first murder
blaming everything on the parents is def the easy way out...which you makes everyone shuts the bigger picture and so nothing changes