Virginia School Downplayed Teacher's Warnings About 6-Year-old Who Shot Her

The Virginia teacher who was shot by a 6-year-old student last month reportedly asked school administrators for help with his troubling behavior—but was dismissed or the warning was downplayed, according to The Washington Post. The Post obtained messages from teachers about the Richneck Elementary School incident, where the first-grader shot Abigail Zwerner in class without any prior struggle or warning. The messages indicate that Zwerner had asked for assistance during the school year with the child. In a separate message, a teacher alleges that school administrators downplayed the serious concerns about the child, including one claim that he wrote a note to another teacher telling her he hated her—and wanted to light her on fire and watch her die. That teacher reportedly told administrators about the note but was told to drop the matter, according to the messages obtained by the Post. On another occasion, the boy allegedly barricaded a classroom door, preventing students and a teacher from leaving. A school district spokeswoman declined to release information about the child to the Post, citing federal privacy laws.