Six-year-old perpetrator Child shoots teacher in class - now she gets 10 million dollars
A six-year-old shoots his teacher with a gun in the USA. Who is responsible? A jury finds that the school administration is also responsible.
07.11.2025, 18:59
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- In January 2023, a teacher was seriously injured by a six-year-old with a gun at a school in Newport News in the US state of Virginia.
- A jury has now awarded her ten million dollars.
- The reason: the school administration had ignored warnings from classmates that the boy had a gun. An appeal is still possible.
Following a serious gunshot wound by a pupil, a former primary school teacher in the US state of Virginia is to receive damages of 10 million dollars (around 8.1 million Swiss francs).
This was decided by a jury. According to reports in the US media, the jury also found that the then deputy head teacher had ignored warnings that the then six-year-old had brought a weapon to school. She had thus acted with "gross negligence".
The boy shot his teacher in the hand and chest with a gun at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News in early 2023. She suffered life-threatening injuries. According to media reports, the bullet is still lodged in her chest.
Classmates had warned her
Several school employees testified in the civil proceedings that pupils had told them about the gun in the boy's rucksack, according to the media reports. However, the deputy principal had only acted after the boy had already fired.
"A gun changes everything. You stop and investigate," CNN quoted attorney Kevin Biniazan as saying, "you get to the bottom of it to find out if the gun is real and on school property." Here is the video of the verdict:
The deputy principal can reportedly still appeal. According to CNN, the damages will be paid by the school district's insurance association. According to the reports, the school management will also have to answer for the incident in criminal proceedings next month.
Gun belonged to the boy's mother
The trial could set a precedent as to who is responsible in cases of gun violence in schools, CNN reported. Apart from the teacher, no one was injured in the incident in 2023. According to the police, she was able to get all the pupils out of the classroom.
After the crime, it was revealed that the firearm belonged to the boy's mother. She was sentenced to two years in prison for neglecting the child. In the USA, lethal gun violence is part of everyday life. Tragic incidents also occur time and again at schools.
Pistols and larger caliber weapons are easily accessible and in circulation by the millions. According to a database compiled by the Every Town for Gun Safety initiative, which advocates stricter gun laws, there have been at least 141 gun incidents in US schools and on their grounds this year up to the end of October, resulting in 44 fatalities.
