The 6-year-old is also reportedly on a "care plan" with the school, and the week of the shooting was the first time a parent was not by his side in the classroom, the statement read.
The family of the 6-year-old student who shot his first-grade teacher say the gun the boy brought to class that day “was secured” and that their family has always been committed to “responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children,” according to a statement shared with Inside Edition Digital.
This is the first time the family has spoken out since the incident earlier this month, when their unnamed son had pulled out a handgun from his backpack, pointed it at his teacher, 25-year-old Abigail Zwerner, and fired one round.
She continues to recover following the shooting, and was discharged from Riverside Regional Medical Center earlier this week, hospital officials said.
"Our heart goes out to our son's teacher and we pray for her healing in the aftermath of such an unimaginable tragedy as she selflessly served our son and the children in the school," read the statement, shared by the family's attorney James Ellenson. "She has worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son."
The family’s statement explained that their son suffers from an “acute disability” and he was on a “care plan” at the school, that required one of the parents to attend class with every day.
“The week of the shooting was the first week when we were not in class with him,” the statement said. “We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives.”
Zwerner had been teaching her students as usual at the Richneck Elementary School in Virginia on a Monday afternoon when she was shot and injured.
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said despite being shot, she had evacuated the rest of her students from the room, before collapsing at the administration office.
Zwerner’s twin sister has since started a GoFundMe page to support her recovery.
The boy has been receiving treatment under hospital care since the shooting.
While law enforcement initially described the shooting as “intentional,” the boy has not been charged with a crime. The family said they have been cooperating with local and federal authorities to understand how the incident occurred.
