RICHMOND, Va. (AP) 鈥 A Virginia teacher who was shot and wounded by her 6-year-old student said she has had four surgeries and is going through a challenging recovery.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the Jan. 6 shooting, first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner said during an exclusive interview with NBC's Savannah Guthrie that she has some days when she 鈥渃an't get up out of bed," while others she is able to go about her day and make it to appointments.
鈥淔or going through what I've gone through, I try to stay positive. You know, try to have a positive outlook on what's happened and where my future's heading,鈥 Zwerner said in a portion of the interview that was aired Monday on 鈥淣BC Nightly News.鈥
Zwerner was hospitalized for nearly two weeks after being shot in the chest and left hand as she taught her class at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. The shooting rattled the military shipbuilding community and sent shock waves around the country, with many wondering and shoot his teacher.
Zwerner鈥檚 attorney, Diane Toscano, told reporters in January that concerned staff at the school had warned administrators three times that the 6-year-old had a gun and was threatening other students in the hours before Zwerner was shot. Toscano said the school administration 鈥渨as paralyzed by apathy鈥 and didn鈥檛 call police, remove the boy from class or lock down the school.
In early February, Zwerner鈥檚 legal notice of her intent to sue the school district said the boy who shot Zwerner had constantly cursed at staff and teachers, tried to whip students with his belt and once 鈥渦ntil she couldn鈥檛 breathe.鈥
Two days before the shooting, the boy allegedly 鈥渟lammed鈥 Zwerner鈥檚 cellphone and broke it, leading to a one-day suspension. When the boy returned to her class the following day, he pulled his mother鈥檚 9mm handgun out of his pocket and shot her while she sat at a reading table, the legal notice said.
The Newport News School board in the wake of the shooting. Ebony Parker, an assistant principal who was a primary focus in Zwerner鈥檚 intent to sue notice, resigned.
Newport News鈥 top prosecutor said earlier this month that he would because the child lacked the competency to understand the legal system and what a charge means. But Newport News Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney Howard Gwynn said his office hadn't decided if any adults would be held criminally accountable.
The boy used his mother鈥檚 legally purchased gun, according to police. James Ellenson, a lawyer for the child鈥檚 mother, stated in January that the weapon was secured on a high closet shelf and was locked away.
Ellenson said it was unclear how the boy got access to the gun. He also said that the boy 鈥渨as under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day.鈥
In a statement released through Ellenson, the boy's family said the week of the shooting 鈥渨as the first week when we were not in class with him. "
鈥淲e will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives,鈥 the statement said.
More of the interview with Zwerner will be aired during the 鈥淭oday鈥 show Tuesday morning.
