# Six-year-old shoots teacher in Virginia **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 7, 2023, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806 "2023-01-07T02:09:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/1 "2023-01-07T02:09:31Z")
Teacher last reported in critical condition after being shot by one of her students in the first grade. I have no words. Except maybe to say, only in America could a six-year-old child so quickly absorb the elements of the gun culture and the bounty of the Second Amendment! 🙄 > **[6-year-old in custody after shooting teacher in Virginia, police chief says |...](https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/06/us/newport-news-virginia-shooting/index.html)** > > A 6-year-old boy is in police custody after he shot a teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, Friday afternoon, Police Chief Steve Drew said in a news conference. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/2 "2023-01-07T02:24:01Z")
I’m actually impressed that a six year old is capable of picking the lock of a gun safe, disable the alarm and open the trigger lock without the responsible adult gun owner knowing about it. /s ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/3 "2023-01-07T02:34:02Z")
Depends on the model of gun safe. Perhaps the 6yo watched the right LockPickingLawyer video on youtube. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/4 "2023-01-07T03:59:22Z")
Dad’s gun was/is in the safe. The kid’s gun was under his pillow. No lock-opening skill required. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/5 "2023-01-07T04:10:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The kid’s gun was under his pillow. « Ahh, how sweet! Honey, come look at little Johnny, already to protect us and our home. » In all seriousness, I just don’t get it. Some parents actually give a hand-gun to their six-year old? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/6 "2023-01-07T04:13:49Z")
From the article: > “We need the community’s support, continued support, to make sure that guns are not available to youth and I’m sounding like a broken record today, because I continue to reiterate that: that we need to keep the guns out of the hands of our young people,” the superintendent said. Any suggestion that we must keep guns out of the hands of six-year-olds is just exploiting this tragedy to score cheap political points. If other six-year-olds in the class were permitted to carry firearms, this tragedy might never have happened. Now is not the time. Thoughts and prayers. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/7 "2023-01-07T04:17:32Z")
Hardy-har-har to all the gun bashers in this thread. I wonder if it will turn out that the six-year old is a black or hispanic wannabe gangsta’ who stole his drug-addicted welfare mom’s gun to earn himself some respect. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/8 "2023-01-07T04:20:59Z")
There is nothing in the article about the gun belonging to the kid or that his parents gave it to him. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/9 "2023-01-07T04:23:30Z")
Other reports are similar so far - he had it in his possession in the classroom, but they don’t know where he got it. Quote from cops “not an accident”. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/10 "2023-01-07T04:26:22Z")
Can a 6 year old child even be charged? Cop said it wasn’t an accident. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/11 "2023-01-07T04:29:16Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Can a 6 year old child even be charged? They can certainly investigate the parent or parents and at a minimum order social services intervention. Worst case scenario the parents lose custody and the minor is remanded either to foster care or juvenile detention. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/12 "2023-01-07T04:31:51Z")
Makes sense the guns owner is ultimately responsible. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/13 "2023-01-07T04:41:05Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Worst case scenario the parents lose custody and the minor is remanded either to foster care or juvenile detention. - Maybe start a new trend and charge them as accessories to attempted murder. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/14 "2023-01-07T04:43:18Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Hardy-har-har to all the gun bashers in this thread. I wonder if it will turn out that the six-year old is a black or hispanic wannabe gangsta’ who stole his drug-addicted welfare mom’s gun to earn himself some respect. So in your interpretation, America doesn’t have a gun problem, it has a Black and Hispanic problem? ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/15 "2023-01-07T04:47:26Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > > [@Lumpy](#): > > > > Hardy-har-har to all the gun bashers in this thread. I wonder if it will turn out that the six-year old is a black or hispanic wannabe gangsta’ who stole his drug-addicted welfare mom’s gun to earn himself some respect > > So in your interpretation America doesn’t have a gun problem it has a Black and Hispanic problem? If you want to start a Pit thread about this be my guest, but I’d rather not hijack this one. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/16 "2023-01-07T04:48:55Z")
I agree, and charge them if appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/17 "2023-01-07T05:32:05Z")
I submit charge the parents who failed to secure the firearm as Accessories. And if the victim dies, Felony Murder. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/18 "2023-01-07T13:51:58Z")
---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-year-old-shoots-teacher-in-virginia/977806/19 "2023-01-07T13:58:48Z")
**Moderator Note** This thread has gotten way out of hand for MPSIMS. But then, that really isn’t much of a surprise considering that the OP contains this: > [@wolfpup](#): > > Except maybe to say, only in America could a six-year-old child so quickly absorb the elements of the gun culture and the bounty of the Second Amendment! 🙄 If the OP wants to rant about gun culture, the Pit is probably a better place to do so. If anyone wants to discuss this as a breaking news story, feel free to post in MPSIMS, but do not include politically charged posts like the OP. Keep gun politics out of breaking news threads, except as necessary to discuss the news event. If anyone wants to engage in the gun debate with respect to this particular case, feel free to do so in GD. Please be sure to frame your post as a proper debate. This is closed.