A fifth grader at Richneck Elementary, the same Virginia school where a 6-year-old shot and wounded his teacher, was removed from class after threatening to “pop some bullets,” officials said.
Karen Lynch, an administrator on special assignment at Richneck, confirmed the safety issue in a letter sent out to parents Monday night. She said the threat came over the weekend in a series of text messages between a group of fifth grade students, including one who went on to report the exchange to his parents.
“One of the students stated that they would ‘pop some bullets’ and tell someone to shoot up the class,” Lynch wrote in the note, which was obtained by NBC News.
“I immediately contacted the student’s parent and excluded the student from school.”
The student who made the statement was not identified and it’s unclear how long the suspension will last.
Lynch went on to thank the student and parent who alerted school officials to the potential threat for their “swift action.”
“A thorough investigation is underway with the Police Department. A threat assessment is also in progress,” Lynch added. “Threats and safety concerns are always taken very seriously. Please rest assured that all protocols are being followed and this incident is being addressed accordingly.”
The text exchange comes just six weeks after first grade teacher Abigail Zwerner was shot and wounded inside her classroom at the school. She was reading at table in front of the class on Jan. 25 when a student pulled out his mother’s 9 mm handgun and fired.
Zwerner was rushed to the hospital with gunshot wounds to the chest and arm. She has since been released from the hospital and is continuing her recovery at home.
Authorities are still investigating how the child got his hands on the firearm, but his family said in a statement after the shooting that it had been “secured.” The family did not provide further details.
“Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children,” the family members said in the statement released by their attorney, James Ellenson. “The firearm our son accessed was secured.”
No charges have been filed in connection with the shooting.
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