Metal detectors will be installed at school where 6-year-old shot teacher, official says

Metal detectors will be installed at the Virginia elementary school where a 6-year-old student intentionally shot his first grade teacher, a school official said.

"Metal detectors are going to start at Richneck so we can get those students in the building," Newport News School Board Chair Lisa R. Surles-Law said during a Jan. 12 press conference.

Richneck Elementary School has been closed since Jan. 6, the day of the shooting. A return date for students has not been set, a spokesperson for the Newport News School District told NBC News.

Surles-Law said at least one metal detector will also be added to all of the district's schools.

"The 90 state-of-the-art metal detectors are going in each and every school in our district, and some of them will have more than one," she said.

Abigail Zwerner, 25, was instructing her class last week when the student took out a 9mm handgun, Steve Drew, chief of police at Newport News Police Department, said during a press conference on Jan. 9.

The child fired once, striking Zwerner in the hand and chest, Drew said. Despite her injuries, she still evacuated her students and was the last one to leave the classroom.

"I believe she did save lives, because I don’t know what else might have happened if those kids would have stayed in that room," Drew said.

Zwerner, known as Miss Z to her students, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, but is now awake and expected to recover from the shooting. Surles-Law said Zwerner’s condition was "improving every day."

"She is a trooper," Drew said. "She is a hero … She asked me this question, 'Do you know how my students are?' She was worried about them."

The student was taken into custody under a temporary protection order, and is "currently receiving treatment at a medical facility," according to officials.

Experts told NBC News it is unlikely for the child to face charges in connection with the shooting, but that his parents could potentially be charged.

The student's mother legally purchased the firearm, police said, though it is unclear how the child brought the gun to school. The child's parents have not been charged with a crime.

Newport News Public Schools Superintendent George Parker said during the press conference on Jan. 9 the school district would be making changes to its safety measures, even though he does not like "making our schools look anything like a prison."

"I don’t believe anything would have avoided this circumstance right here unless kids went through a metal detector. So that’s something that we just have to consider moving forward," Parker said. "This incident right here will cause us to rethink how we handle our youngest children coming into our division."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com