A School Shooting

Almost a month has passed since a Newport News, Virginia elementary school teacher was shot in her class by a six-year-old student. The teacher, Abigail Zwerner, is recovering following surgery and hospitalization. 

A few days after the shooting, I spoke with a friend who lives in the New York metropolitan area who wanted to know how far Newport News is from where I live in Norfolk. It is about 20 miles away. He asked what I thought about the situation. I was not sure then and I am not sure now. Like many people in our region, we shake our heads about a child committing a crime, especially at an age when he is legally incapable of such an action.  

The shootings and violence in our country have reached ridiculous levels. There are multiple reasons for these attacks but I have difficulty understanding unprovoked violence. I see my role in this blog to be more pastoral than political. I will pray for both the teacher and her family and the six-year-old and his family.

I am a grandfather to twins who just had their seventh birthday last month. I have looked more deeply at them recently. You may remember that almost two years ago I wrote about my grandson asking me why an autistic boy hit him on the playground (see Feeling Hurt in the At Peace Archives, April 25, 2021). I thought that was a difficult discussion. 

What are my immediate reactions to this situation? Ms. Zwerner, in the midst of suffering her  injuries, saved the lives of her other students by leading them to another classroom. She deserves our prayers of gratitude. I regret that she has had this experience and hope that she will be able to live a long and pleasurable life and reconcile this horrible trauma with the help of professionals, friends and family.

The young boy is very ill, and I pray for his healing. He has not received the mental health services which may have addressed the hatred which led him to take this action. He is six years old and needs to be loved and to now receive specialized healthcare.

For the boy’s parents, I cannot even imagine their horrible feelings, which will linger for a lifetime, as they try to reconcile their son’s act. They may have contributed through poor decisions. In my career, I have spoken with several families experiencing similar grief – it is not pretty. I pray for them.

When I look at my grandchildren’s faces watching television, playing with toy trucks or reading first grade stories, I almost weep. I pray that they can’t imagine participating in a similar act.  They tell me they love their teachers and I smile.

In my view, arguing over who should be punished and what will make the schools more safe is for others to decide. As citizens we should share our feelings, in a non-combative but heartfelt manner, with those who will work on these issues. A letter in our local newspaper recently said, “we are at war with violence.” This certainly seems to be the case. May we be blessed with the strength and wisdom to fight the battle.