NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – A lot has happened over the last 36 hours in the Richneck Elementary School shooting investigation.
And it leaves a lot more questions for parents as to what they can expect when they send their children back to school on Monday.
Wednesday, teacher Abby Zwerner’s attorney said a lawsuit will be filed in the case.
The assistant principal gave her notice to resign, and the superintendent was fired.
We are now hearing one on one from a Newport News School Board member about what happened last Wednesday night, and where does the investigation go from here?
We also reached out to Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn, who would not comment, but said as soon as he gets the Newport News Police investigation, he said he will move forward with the case to determine what will happen next.
Thursday, the lone vote not to terminate the Newport News Public Schools’ superintendent, board member Gary Hunter, spoke with us about why he voted no to the separation agreement and severance for Superintendent Dr. George Parker III.
“We are trying to do a separation agreement with the superintendent when we haven’t got all the facts,” Hunter said.
That is why he voted not to terminate Parker.
“I didn’t have any justification for his release at this time,” Hunter said. “In particular, I wasn’t sure why he was being released, and we didn’t have an opportunity to process it.”
It appears it was the outcry from teachers and parents packed meetings that led to the termination because they had lost faith in the Richneck Elementary and the school division’s direction.
“I know that the public had some concerns about the state of our schools, as it relates to student behavior in particular,” Hunter said.
Hunter called the termination a knee-jerk reaction to the voices of the crowd.
“Yes, it was because we don’t have enough evidence after a 30-year career he put into education … one time we were talking dropout rates, he changed that. … Graduation rates improved,” Hunter said. “We have one of the most robust summer programs ever. We just won an award on his leadership on mental health and wellness.”
Newport News resident Ernie Tolliver was driving by the school to see where the shooting went down.
“What bothers me? That this child was able to get a gun at his age,” Tolliver said, “and to be able to shoot the woman, and what? Do we just stand by and let it happen?”
Tolliver was with his wife Teresa, who is concerned too many people in the school had suspicions the six-year-old had a gun, and no one called 9-1-1 or police before the shooting. Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew confirmed police did not receive a call from the school before the shooting.
“They (people in the school) should have called the police when they heard he had a gun,” Teresa Tolliver said. “They should have called the police and locked down the school.”
Monday, the students come back to “Richneck Strong” as signs read on campus.
Hunter had a prediction:
“I believe Richneck will be the safest school in America on Monday.”
