The Virginia trainer shot by a 6-year-old pupil spoke out publicly for the primary time this week and described the second she thought she was dying.
In an interview with the “Right this moment” present that aired Tuesday, first grade trainer Abigail Zwerner described the haunting seconds earlier than her pupil shot her in January.
“There’s some issues that I’ll always remember. And I simply will always remember the look on his face that he gave me whereas he pointed the gun immediately at me,” she mentioned of the incident at Richneck Elementary Faculty in Newport Information, Virginia. “That’s one thing that I’ll always remember. It’s modified me. It’s modified my life.”
Zwerner advised “Right this moment” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie that she’s since realized she probably solely survived the taking pictures as a result of she held her hand as much as the kid, that means the bullet traveled by her hand earlier than hitting her within the chest.
What occurred subsequent continues to be a “blur,” Zwerner mentioned, however she remembers shuttling her youngsters out of the classroom and making her method to a faculty workplace as she started to lose consciousness, not figuring out that her lung had collapsed and he or she was changing into unable to breathe.
“I bear in mind I went to the workplace and I simply handed out,” she mentioned. “I assumed I had died.”
The circumstances across the taking pictures gained nationwide consideration, with gun management advocates pointing to a number of failures main as much as Zwerner’s close to dying. Police have confirmed the gun the kid used belonged to his mom, who obtained it legally. It’s not clear how the boy gained entry to the gun, however Virginia has no legal guidelines requiring firearms to be saved in a particular method. His mother and father have mentioned the gun was secured.
A number of academics additionally raised considerations concerning the little one’s damaging conduct with faculty directors, and warned he may need had a gun on him that day, however the faculty didn’t find and take it from him.
Zwerner’s lawyer, Diane Toscano, advised “Right this moment” she plans to file a lawsuit on behalf of her shopper within the coming weeks.
“I can let you know there have been failures on a number of ranges on this case, and there have been adults that have been in positions of authority that might have prevented this tragedy from taking place and didn’t,” Toscano mentioned.
Newport Information’ prosecutor mentioned earlier this month that he won’t press expenses towards the kid.
The boy’s mother and father have spoken out in assist of Zwerner and praised how she dealt with the scenario.
“Our coronary heart goes out to our son’s trainer and we pray for her therapeutic within the aftermath of such an unimaginable tragedy as she selflessly served our son and the kids within the faculty,” the mother and father mentioned in January.