ISLAMABAD/ WASHINGTON DC: A prosecutor has said that a six-year-old boy who shot his teacher in a school in the US Virginia state is unlikely to face charges.
However, authorities in Newport News have yet to decide whether any adults will face criminal charges in the case. According to police, the child brought the gun to Richneck Elementary School on January 6th in his backpack. Teacher Abigail Zwerner, 25, was shot in hand and chest but survived.
Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn told NBC News on Wednesday that his office would not seek charges against the boy.
He stated that “the prospect of a six-year-old standing trial is problematic” because the child is too young to comprehend the legal system. Gwynn stated that their goal is not simply to complete the task as soon as possible. He stated that once all the facts have been analyzed, we will charge any person or persons we believe can show that they have committed a crime.
US law
In a later interview with a local ABC News outlet, Gwynn stated that the consensus among US constitutional lawyers is that a six-year-old “cannot form the requisite ill intent to be guilty of an aggravated assault”.
Zwerner is suing the school district after being shot through the hand and upper chest during an “altercation” with a first-grader, according to police. According to police, the gun was legally purchased and belonged to the child’s mother.
