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NNPD Chief Drew: Investigative report on Richneck shooting handed over to Commonwealth's Attorney

In Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew's "Chat with the Chief" on Facebook, he said he wrapped up his entire report on the shooting at Richneck Elementary School.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Weeks after a 6-year-old boy shot his first-grade teacher, Abby Zwerner, at Richneck Elementary School, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew gave updates on the investigation.

In his "Chat with the Chief" discussion on Facebook, Drew said detectives wrapped up interviews last week after more than a month of investigating what happened inside that first-grade classroom.

Drew said his department handed over the full investigative report to the Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney, Howard Gwynn, on Tuesday morning.

It's a tedious case Chief Drew called a "complex investigation" when he sat down one-on-one with 13News Now. 

"For the most part, we interviewed every student that was there... and that's hard," Drew explained. "I wish it didn't have to be this way and I wish we didn't have to investigate this case, but here we are."

Drew discussed the challenge of interviewing dozens of people in this case including Abby Zwerner, school officials, teachers, the family members of the boy responsible for the shooting, parents of students, and others who submitted tips to his department. 

He said he had to seek help from counselors and receive special permission from parents to safely and securely interview children who were there when the student shot Zwerner. 

Earlier in January, Drew said the mother of the 6-year-old student legally purchased a gun. He explained that the boy got ahold of the gun, put it in his book bag as they traveled to school, and at some point during the school day, took the gun out and put it on himself.

An attorney representing the family members of the boy wrote in a statement the gun they had inside the home was secure and out of reach for the child.

Currently, no one faces charges in this case, and Chief Drew says he's leaving every bit of determination on that part to Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn.

"I'm sure Mr. Gwynn [...] and his staff will do a thorough job and I think the recommendations for me will be where the facts are and what the law is and what the best interest is for all those involved," said Drew. 

Drew said it could take a while for Gwynn to make his determination, adding that it's possible he would need to review parts of the investigation and come back to ask questions.

Drew said he hopes his investigative report is thorough enough so that Gwynn does not have to do that, but he said he'll be in constant communication with Gwynn throughout the entire process.

"We owe it to Abby. We owe it to Abby's family. We owe it to the school system," Drew said. "We owe to every single school parent of every child in that classroom, every child in that classroom. Quite frankly, we owe it to the boy who pulled that trigger, and his family."

Drew couldn't comment on the current status of the 6-year-old boy out of respect for the family and the investigation. He also couldn't comment on the claims regarding the student's violent behavior in the past. He said he looked into every tip his office received.

Drew said because this case reached so many people across the community and the country, he received a lot of tips regarding the investigation. He said that led him to conduct follow-up interviews, which is one of the reasons his investigation took several weeks to conclude.

 

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