According to authorities, a six-year-old student shot his instructor at a US school using his mother's lawfully acquired firearm.
Police in Virginia said during a press conference on Monday that the youngster had taken the gun to school in his bag.
On Friday during class, the student shot Abigail "Abby" Zwerner purposely. Before requesting assistance for herself, according to the police, she was able to lead her pupils to safety.
The 25-year-old Ms. Zwerner's health is still stable, according to the hospital.
Earlier on Monday, police in Newport News, a 180,000-person city northwest of Virginia Beach, claimed to have spoken with the instructor.
Police Chief Steve Drew praised Ms. Zwerner as a "trooper" and a "hero," saying that she often inquired about the safety of her kids, who were present in the classroom when the incident occurred.
Around 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on Friday, Richneck Elementary School got a call reporting a teacher had been shot. When they went inside the classroom, they saw a six-year-old youngster being held back by a staff member.
Chief Drew said that the youngster shot his instructor once. The shooting, he said, "was not accidental; it was purposeful," and it happened while Ms. Zwerner was instructing the class.
According to Chief Drew, Ms. Zwerner was hit through her hand and into her upper breast. Before heading down to the school's administrative office to request assistance, she first made sure her children were outside the classroom securely, according to the witness.
Chief Drew added, "She turned around to make sure every one of those youngsters was safe."
A mom bringing up her grandkids as the facility went into lockdown saw Ms. Zwerner entering the main office of the school.
As she said to the New York Times, Lowanda Sample-Rusk "Call 911, I've been shot, she yelled. She eventually passed out."
According to Chief Drew, there was no physical struggle or brawl before the shooting and there was no prior warning.
Police said that they discovered the student's bag, phone, and one spent round casing in the classroom next to his desk, along with a 9mm Taurus handgun.
According to Chief Drew, after speaking with the child's mother, police discovered that the weapon was lawfully purchased and kept in the family's residence.
Police said the unnamed youngster was taken into custody and is being evaluated at a hospital. They added that they would ask for a temporary detention order.
Chief Drew said that police are carrying out more witness and local child services interviews as part of their ongoing investigation into the event.
The school, which has roughly 550 students, is equipped with metal detectors, but only a random sample of students was searched.
Fifth-grader Novah Jones, who was in a separate classroom, detailed the moment her class was shut down by a student at the school.
I was scared, she said to CNN. "I didn't know what to do since it was like my first lockdown, so I simply huddled under my desk as everyone else did."
Steve Gonzalez, a parent whose kid was present in the class at the time, praised Ms. Zwerner's unselfish acts.
He told Fox News that after being shot, "she shouted at her kids to flee away."
Before being reunited with their families, pupils were taken to the school's gym shortly after the incident. Chief Drew recounted parents crying as they waited to see their kids.
The "greatest issue in our nation," according to an anonymous British mother picking up her kid, is weapons.
Why is it so awful, she asked.
According to the chief, the school will be closed all week to allow children and families "time to recover."
