RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Authorities in the Virginia city where a 6-year-old shot and wounded his teacher will not seek criminal charges against the child, the local prosecutor told NBC News Wednesday, in a decision that was anticipated by legal experts.
But Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn said his office has yet to decide if any adults will be held criminally accountable.
Newport News police have said that the boy used his mother’s 9mm handgun in the Jan. 6 shooting at Richneck Elementary School. A lawyer for the child’s mother has previously stated that the weapon, which was legally purchased, was secured on a high closet shelf and had a lock on it.
Gwynn did not immediately respond to two phone messages and two emails from The Associated Press seeking comment.
He told NBC that the “prospect that a 6-year-old can stand trial is problematic” because he wouldn’t have the competency to understand the legal system and what a charge means.