NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Newport News Public School Board said it's buying metal detectors to be put in all of its schools as soon as possible.
In a press conference Thursday evening, Board Chairperson Lisa Surles-Law announced funding has been obtained for 90 state-of-the-art metal detectors.
The announcement comes after police said a 6-year-old boy shot his first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School on Jan. 6. When police arrived, they found 25-year-old teacher Abby Zwerner in the office suffering from a gunshot wound to the hand and upper chest.
Police have said the shooting was intentional.
Zwerner was taken to Riverside Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. She is currently recovering and making improvements.
News 3 talked to parents about the reality of metal detectors being installed.
"Metal detectors at an elementary school? Metal detectors at schools are crazy" said Taniesha Cable a Richneck Parent. "How does a 6-year-old have access to a weapon and know how to use it? That troubles me. This is an elementary school. You would never imagine an elementary school and then everyone sit talking about putting metal detectors in."
During the press conference, Surles-Law said walkthrough metal detectors will be in place for all students, faculty, and staff for Richneck upon school reopening.
As of Thursday night, there was no timeline on when these metal detectors will be up and running in the rest of the schools.
"I believe that if we're going to enact the plan, we need to go ahead and enact the plan. There is time for debate, there is time for discussion but it's also time for action" said Robert Brown, an NNPS parent.
Brown knows all too well about getting a disturbing call that there's been a school shooting. He got that call last year when the Heritage High school shooting happened, leading him to be on board about metal detectors in schools.
"I would rather my child complain about having to have their bookbags screened or go through a metal detector than to not have my child come home that evening," said Brown.
Other parents are also on the same page, but also believe that NNPS is not doing enough.
"Reallocate your resources to where there the most valuable which is protecting our children and our students. That is the future of this country; this is how we grow and evolve, and it needs to be done yesterday" said Amanda D'Onofrio, an NNPS parent said.
NNPS leaders also outlined further steps they will take to address school safety, including a safety stand down and the review of student conduct and discipline records.
School officials also said administrative changes have been proposed at Richneck after reviewing the preliminary results of the internal investigation.
