HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Following Friday's shooting at Richneck Elementary, where police said a 6-year-old student brought a gun to school and shot his first-grade teacher, many parents have concerns about sending their children back to the classroom.
"How does a 6-year-old have access to a weapon and know how to use it? That troubles me," said Richneck parent Taniesha Cable. Cable and her son were picking up belongings left behind at Richneck Elementary during the chaos on Friday, as the school remains closed for the rest of the week.
Cable's concerns about such a young child getting access to a gun are being felt across the community and even nationwide.
According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, in the last 53 years, 893 of 2,476 school shooters were minors. This means they accessed the gun from a parent or other source.
Newport News Police said the Richneck Elementary student that pulled the trigger obtained the 9mm handgun from his mother.
"The firearm was legally purchased by the child's mother out of York County. The firearm was in the residence where they lived and the child had obtained that firearm and placed it in his backpack and brought it to school," explained Newport News Chief of Police, Steve Drew. "How does a 6-year-old know how to use a firearm? I don't know if I could give you an adequate answer."
But leaders with Project Child Safe said there is no excuse for a gun getting in a child's hands.
Project Child Safe aims to prevent instances like the one at Richneck Elementary by partnering with local law enforcement agencies to distribute free gun locks to families.
Newport News is one of several Virginia cities that partner with the organization to distribute free gun safety kits.
"I think certainly the shooting could have been prevented," said Project Child Safe and the National Shooting Sports Foundation's CEO and President Joe Bartozzi. "It would have been prevented because the lock prevents the firearm from firing. The cable lock provides a physical barrier between the chamber where the bullet is located in the barrel. So you can't close the gun, you can't close the action of the firearm to allow that bullet to fire. It is a physical block. That prevents it from going off."
If an adult fails to properly secure their guns, they may face a misdemeanor charge and even jail time.
Virginia Law makes it illegal to leave a loaded gun in a manner that could potentially endanger a child under the age of 14. Legal experts said depending on the circumstances, parents could face additional charges.
"How did he get the gun? Did [the parents] know he's gotten the gun? And had he gotten the gun in the past?" asked Sonny Stallings, a legal analyst. "That could increase these charges to a reckless endangerment charge."
Additionally, federal legislation passed in 2005 requires all gun retailers to provide buyers with locks.
"By law, since 2005, when you buy a gun at retail, a lock has to come with that gun," said Bartozzi. "So, unfortunately, there's no excuse. Ultimately, the firearm owner is responsible for securing the firearm when they're not using it and when they're not carrying it."
If you are interested in getting a free firearm safety kit from Project Child Safe, contact your local police department.
