US: 6-year-old boy curses at police after shooting teacher in classroom

Newly unsealed police body-camera footage has shown a six-year-old boy challenging and cursing at responding officers moments after shooting his teacher at an elementary school in Virginia, United States.

The footage, released during a recent trial, captured the boy’s aggressive reaction as officers arrived at the school in Newport News following the shooting on January 6, 2023.

According to the New York Post, the first-grade pupil pulled a handgun from his jacket pocket and fired at his teacher from about three metres away while in the classroom.

The bullet passed through the teacher’s hand before lodging in her chest, leaving her seriously injured.

The teacher, who underwent several surgeries, later made a remarkable recovery. Sixteen pupils were reportedly in the classroom when the shooting occurred.

When another teacher heard the gunshot, she rushed into the classroom and found the victim lying on the floor with a gunshot wound. She immediately restrained the boy to prevent him from moving.

The second teacher later testified that the boy punched her in the face during the incident, knocking her glasses off.

Body-camera footage showed the boy responding aggressively to police officers as they questioned him about his age and the incident.

When asked how old he was, he replied that he was six.

The boy was also heard challenging officers, reportedly telling them, “You want to try me?”

He further made statements indicating that he was not afraid of being arrested or taken to jail.

Police found a 9mm handgun on the classroom floor when they arrived at the scene.

Investigators later established that the weapon used in the shooting had been stolen from the boy’s mother.

The incident drew widespread attention because of the child’s age and the severity of the shooting, raising concerns about children’s access to firearms and gun safety in the United States.