The screenshot taken from CNN's website shows its recent report about a six-year-old boy shooting his teacher on Jan. 6, 2023 at Richneck Elementary School, Newport News, Virginia, the United States. (Xinhua)
It was the first shooting at a U.S. school in 2023, highlighting what some gun policy experts believe is a dire need for stronger, more consistent laws nationwide.
NEW YORK, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- In the week since a six-year-old boy in the eastern U.S. state of Virginia took a gun from his home, brought it to school and shot his teacher, community members and officials were grappling with an unsettling question: how did the child get access to a loaded firearm?
Police are seeking answers as they investigate the events leading up to the Jan. 6 shooting at Richneck Elementary school, in Newport News, Virginia, that wounded a 25-year-old elementary school teacher, according to a CNN report over the weekend.
The boy, who was taken into custody immediately after the shooting, was under a temporary detention order and was being evaluated at a hospital, police said. The gun allegedly used in the shooting was legally purchased by the child's mother, who could face charges at the end of the investigation.
"There's a lot of questions that we have to answer as a community," including "how a 6-year-old was able to have a gun (and) know how to use it in such a deliberate manner ... The individuals responsible will be held accountable," Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones was quoted as saying.
"It was the first shooting at a U.S. school in 2023," said the report, "highlighting what some gun policy experts believe is a dire need for stronger, more consistent laws nationwide, requiring adults to safely secure their guns out of the reach of children and others unauthorized to use them." ■
