NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — An investigation is underway after a Richneck Elementary student allegedly texted remarks about shooting up a class over the weekend, according to a message sent to Richneck parents on Monday.
In an email to parents, school administrators say they got a tip about concerning messages shared in a group text between several 5th-grade students. One of the students said they would, "pop some bullets" and went on to tell someone to shoot up the class.
One of the students in the group text told a parent about what was said, who then contacted a teacher.
The Newport News Police Department is now investigating and a threat assessment is now in progress. The student who sent the text message has been "excluded" from the school in the meantime.
The possible threat comes more than a month after a 6-year-old first-grader shot and seriously injured Richneck teacher Abby Zwerner during class.
Below is the full message sent to Richneck families on Monday:
Richneck Families,
This is Karen Lynch. In an effort to keep you informed, and to ensure that you have accurate information, I am reaching out to inform you of a potential safety concern that came to light over the weekend.
A group of fifth-grade students at Richneck were engaged in a text conversation on Saturday when one of the students stated that they would “pop some bullets” and tell someone to shoot up the class. One of the students reported this to their parent and the parent contacted the teacher who informed me and provided me with the name of the student offender. I immediately contacted the student’s parent and excluded the student from school. The NNPS Leadership Team, the Student Conduct and Discipline Office and the police department have been notified. A thorough investigation is underway with the police department. A threat assessment is also in progress.
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. I thank our student and parent for their swift action which allowed us to address this incident to ensure the safety of our students and staff. I truly value our partnership.