Richneck Newport News Elementary School Shooting : Metal Detectors Will Be Installed In All Newport News Schools.
In response to the shooting at Richneck Elementary School last week, which left a teacher in serious condition, school authorities said Thursday afternoon that metal detectors would be installed in all Newport News schools.
School Board Chairwoman Lisa Surles-Law made the declaration during a press conference that took place at 4:30 p.m. to provide an update on the response of Newport News Public Schools to the shooting.
According to Surles-Law, the detectors will be sent to Richneck first so they can be there whenever the building is reopened. The remaining sensors will be distributed across the remaining schools in the district, with some of the schools receiving multiple detectors.
According to the officials, all students, instructors, and staff will be required to walk through the detectors.
“It is at this point. Now is the time to install metal detectors in every one of our schools, “Surles-Law remarked.
After obtaining and repurposing monies from the school system’s budget, the school system could purchase ninety detectors.
At this time, children are randomly selected for inspection with a metal-detecting wand by the security staff at the school.
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The news of the announcement comes less than a week after Abby Zwerner, 25, a first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School, was shot by a kid who was just six years old.
The student was taken into custody by the police. Zwerner was taken to the hospital with injuries that were considered to be life-threatening; however, her health began to improve throughout the weekend.
Surles-Law stated, “We are truly sorry that this occurred while we were in charge.”
Amanda D’onofrio, the mother of two children in the school division, ages four and six, stated that the news of the shooting made her feel very uneasy.
She stated, “To tell you the truth, I was quite offended and furious.”
In addition to that, D’onofrio works as a tutor for a school district. She stated that she agrees this is a start in the right direction, but it is occurring a little bit too late.
She said this about the shooting at Heritage High School, where two students were injured, and another shooting after a basketball game at Menchville High School, where a student from a different high school was killed. “Quote frankly, this should have started happening after one of the two shootings we had last school year,” she said, referring to the shooting at Heritage High School, where two students were injured.
Before the shooting at Richneck Elementary School, officials stated that the school system had not found any guns since the shooting in 2021 at Heritage High School.
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“However, when one appears, we are required to make a change,” said Surles-Law.
She also detailed the additional measures that officials will take to address school safety, such as doing a safety stand down and reviewing student conduct and punishment records.
“We are working closely with our administrators, teachers, and staff to ensure that we are making the best decisions possible to protect the health and safety of our students while maintaining the high quality of education that our community has come to expect,” said Surles-Law.
“We are working to ensure that we are making the best decisions possible to protect the health and safety of our students while maintaining the high quality of education that our community has come to expect.”
She stated that after evaluating the preliminary results of the internal investigation, administrative adjustments had been proposed at Richneck. However, she did not provide any specifics about these modifications.
In addition, Surles-Law expressed gratitude to students, families, and employees for their patience as administrators determined the appropriate next steps to take.
Surles-Law said, “our home was in a crisis, so we have been providing care for people within.”
According to Michelle Price, a spokesperson for Newport News Public Schools, there has been no determination on a timetable for kids to resume attending courses at Richneck.