A sixth-grader has allegedly shot three people at her middle school.

According to the Associated Press, police were called to Rigby Middle School in Idaho at approximately 9:15AM on Thursday, May 6, after the young girl (who has not yet been publically identified) reportedly pulled a loaded handgun from her school bag and opened fire.

The student is said to have shot a janitor and two of her classmates. A brave female teacher was able to disarm and subdue her until multiple law enforcement agencies arrived at the scene.

Police evacuated the middle school students to a nearby high school, where they were reunited with their families, after taking the sixth-grader into custody.

Although nobody was killed in the incident, the Associated Press reports that the two injured students have been hospitalized at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, and that one may require surgery.

Commenting on the incident in a later press conference, Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson stated:

"This is a very difficult and trying time for our community.

"We've had amazing support from partners across the state that have arrived to not only assist in the investigation but give us support with what we need."

Anderson added that his department is investigating with assistance from state police, the Bonneville Sheriff's Office, the FBI, Idaho Falls Police Department, Rigby Police Department, Rexburg Police Department, and Madison County Sheriff's Office.

Meanwhile, per KIFI News, Jefferson School District Superintendent Chad Martin stated: "This is the worst nightmare a school district could ever face."

"We prepare for it, but we are never truly ready for it. Our hearts and our prayers go out to the victims and their families and all those involved. We want to especially thank our community."

Martin added: "The vast support we have received is overwhelming, and we are grateful to live in a community that cares about their students, schools and [is] willing to offer that support."

Martin added that schools across the district would be closed as a result of the shooting, to give students time to be with their families.

Counselors will be available to traumatized students as of Friday, May 7, and the curriculum will resume on Monday, May 10.

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Incredible footage has emerged of the moment a high school gym teacher managed to disarm a suicidal student wielding a shotgun and then embrace him with a hug.

Last year, 19-year-old Angel Granados-Diaz (18 at the time of the incident) who attended Parkrose High School in Oregon, brought a shotgun into campus with him, with the intention of taking his own life. When he was spotted with the firearm, panic ensued, and students began feeling in their droves.

According to The Oregonian, the teenager in question was suffering from a number of mental health issues at the time of the incident and had recently broken up with his girlfriend.

Granados-Diaz did not intend to hurt anyone else and wanted to kill himself in a classroom so the emergency services would be called after shots were fired. He didn't want to carry out the act at home, because he wanted to spare his mother the trauma of finding his body.

Watch the incredible moment his football coach disarmed the student below: 

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However, security footage managed to record the moment when 27-year-old football coach Keanon Lowe wrestled with Granados-Diaz, before disarming him and pulling him into a tight hug.

Commenting on the incident in a later interview, Lowe stated: "It was emotional for him, it was emotional for me. In that time, I felt compassion for him. A lot of times, especially when you’re young, you don’t realize what you’re doing until it’s over. I told him I was there to save him, I was there for a reason and this was a life worth living."

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He added: "I saw the look on his face, the look in his eyes, I looked at the gun, I realized it was a real gun and then my instincts just took over. I lunged for the gun, put two hands on the gun and he had his two hands on the gun and obviously the students are running out of the classroom."

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Granados-Diaz has since been given a three-year-long probationary sentence on Thursday, pleading guilty to charges of the felony possession of a firearm in a public building and misdemeanour possession of a loaded firearm in public. He is also receiving mental health treatment and therapy as part of his sentencing.

A Virginia teacher who was reportedly shot by a six-year-old student last Friday (January 6) was trying to confiscate the gun, a parent of one of the students has claimed.

Abby Zwerner, 25, was at her job at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, when one of her students allegedly tried to shoot her. After warning the other students in her class to flee and take cover in another classroom, Zwerner attempted to take the weapon away from the child, who ended up shooting her at around 2:00 PM, the New York Post reported.

Fortunately, the shooting was not fatal, and Zwerner was listed as being in a serious but stable condition at Riverside Regional Medical Center. Following the incident, the child was taken into custody and, according to Police Chief Steve Drew, the shooting allegedly stemmed from a fight and was "not an accidental shooting," the Washington Post detailed.

Per the outlet, Zwerner was shot both through the abdomen and the hand. Authorities said that it was unclear exactly how the child came into possession of the firearm.

A mother whose son is in Zwerner's class told the Washington Post that she would often leave sweet notes in her son's backpack. "I hope you had a great day," one said. "I want you to know your smile is contagious," said another. "She's such a sweet lady," the mom said. "She's very attentive to the kids."

The mother also added that her son has been finding it tough to cope with the distressing incident and that he's "still in shock." "He normally sleeps in his own room but the night of the shooting he came into my room. He was talking in his sleep, saying we got to get out of here," she continued.

As for whether the six-year-old will be prosecuted for their crime, former director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice Andrew Block told the Washington Post said that while there is no minimum age, it would be difficult to prosecute a child.

"As a practical matter, it would be next to impossible to prosecute a six-year-old, no matter how serious," he said, noting that the "infancy defense" holds that a person younger than seven does not have the mental capacity to form the intent to commit a crime.

"The bigger barrier, presuming the prosecution could overcome that, is all defendants have to be competent to stand trial. That means you have to understand the nature of legal proceedings against you and assist in your own defense. There's no way a six-year-old would meet that criteria," he said. "The juvenile justice system would not be equipped to handle such a young kid," he added.

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A Virginia teacher who was shot by her six-year-old student had sent emails expressing concern about the troubled youngster.

In a warning to administrators about the unnamed boy's conduct inside the classroom, Abigail Zwerner claimed that the child stuck up his middle finger at another student and bumped "into a classmate while running around the class," before allegedly shoving his victim to the floor. She also said she felt "uncomfortable" with him coming back to her classroom.

"As of today, I do not feel comfortable with him returning to my classroom today…," she added in the email to then-Principal Briana Foster Newton and then-Assistant Principal Ebony Parker, per documents obtained by 13News Now,

Parker suggested setting up a meeting with the child's father in order to discuss his "behavioral difficulties" and "put some things in place to support" him, according to another email on November 22, as seen by the news outlet.

Shortly before her student opened fire, Zwerner had, according to reports, messaged someone from her personal life, informing them that the boy had a gun in his backpack.

Following the attack, the boy's family told the district that he "suffers from an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day."

They said that the week the incident took place "was the first week when we were not in class with him. We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives."

The lawyer for former Principal Foster Newton said she had not been told that the youngster was carrying a firearm on the day of the altercation.

"It continues to be reported that unidentified school administrators were aware the 6-year-old student had a gun at school on Jan. 6 and simply failed to act," attorney Pamela Branch told reporters last week.

"Mrs. Newton has been assumed to be one of those administrators; however, this is far from the truth," she said. "The fact of the matter is those who were aware the student had a gun on the premises that day did not report it to Ms. Newton."

Newton and Parker both handed in their notice after it emerged that administrators had reportedly been warned multiple times that day about the boy having a gun on him.

Zwerner's lawyer Diane Toscano claims school staffers told administrators he was carrying the deadly weapon but that no further action was taken.

According to the attorney, Zwerner plans to launch a lawsuit against the school district over the "entirely preventable" event.

After being shot in the chest and hand, the teacher managed to get her students out of harm's way before she was taken to the hospital.

The Virginia Senate has since passed a resolution praising the heroic teacher.

The resolution reads: "Despite life-threatening injuries, Abby Zwerner ushered her students to safety in another room and was the last person to exit the classroom where the shooting took place; no students were injured," and "then alerted the school administrator to call for assistance."

The child's mother had purchased the 9mm gun legally and has not been charged with a crime, officials confirmed.

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Officials have revealed more details surrounding the shooting of a Virginia elementary school teacher.

On Friday, January 6, Richneck Elementary School teacher Abigail Zwerner was shot in her classroom by a six-year-old boy.

As reported by Sky News, the 25-year-old teacher was shot in the hand and chest while teaching her class at the Newport News school.

Police Chief Steve Drew has since described the shooting as "intentional", per News.com.au, with the young boy later being taken into police custody. Additionally, the shooting reportedly occurred without warning or a struggle, but Zwerner has since been hailed a hero after shouting at her other students to get to safety.

She then collapsed in the classroom.

Chief Drew added that the gun - a 9mm Taurus handgun - belonged to the boy's mother, and had been purchased legally. It has not yet been revealed how the child gained access to the firearm.

After being rushed to hospital with what were believed to be life-threatening injuries, she is now in a stable condition.

The six-year-old shooter is currently being held at a medical facility following an emergency custody order.

Now, News.com.au has reported that school system Superintendent George Parker has informed parents that at least one school official was aware that the child was in possession of the weapon hours before the shooting took place.

However, the Newport News school superintendent then revealed that after searching the boy's backpack, no weapon was ever found or confiscated.

Parents were informed by Superintendent Parker: "At least one [unnamed] administrator was notified of a possible weapon in the timeline that we’re reviewing and was aware that that student had […] a weapon on campus."

It has not been revealed how the unnamed administrator became aware of the boy's possession of the firearm, but Chief Drew had previously said that the weapon was brought into the school in the boy's backpack. No further details as to why the firearm was never seized were provided.

Despite being for parents of students at the school, the virtual town hall was broadcast by WAVY-TV after one parent provided the station with access.

Superintendent Parker has revealed that the school's security measures are due to be increased, along with other schools in the area.

This will include a buzzer system, walk-through metal detectors, and a double entranceway. Additionally, officials may also require students to use clear plastic backpacks.

Shortly after the shooting, Superintendent Parker said in a statement: "Today our students got a lesson in gun violence. And what guns can do disrupt to not only an educational environment but also a family, a community."

In Virginia, six-year-olds cannot legally be tried as adults. And if found guilty, the boy is also too young to be committed to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

We wish Zwerner the very best with her recovery.

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