NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Weeks after a 6-year-old boy shot his first-grade teacher, Abby Zwerner, at Richneck Elementary School, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew says the investigation is complete within their department.
In his "Chat with the Chief" discussion on Facebook, Drew said detectives wrapped up interviews last week after weeks of investigating what happened inside that first-grade classroom.
Drew said his department handed over the full investigative report to the Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney's Office Tuesday morning.
He discussed the challenge of interviewing witnesses, since so many are children. He said he had to seek help from counselors and receive special permission from parents to safely and securely interview children who were there when the student shot Zwerner.
Earlier in January, Drew said the mother of the six-year-old student legally purchased a gun. He explained that the boy got ahold of the gun, put it in his book bag as they traveled to school and, at some point during the school day, took the gun out and put it on himself.
An attorney representing the family members of the 6-year-old student wrote in a statement the gun they had inside the home was secure and out of reach for the child.
Drew said charges have not been filed against anyone in the case.
