Abigail Zwerner, 25, is an elementary school teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia who is being called a hero after saving her entire first-grade class after a classmate intentionally shot her in the hand and chest. Zewerner was said to be providing instruction to her class when one of her students took out a firearm, pointed it at her and fired one round at her. Although she had just been shot, the first-grade teacher stayed calm and directed the rest of the students out of the classroom and into the classroom across the hall. Police say that she was the last person to leave her classroom and turned back to make sure every one of her students were safe.

Police Chief, Steve Drew, of Newport News held a press conference where he detailed his visit with Zwerner at the hospital after the incident. “When I met with Abigail’s family on Saturday, and they took me up to her hospital room, she asked me first question, ‘Do you know how my students are?’ She was worried about them,” Drew said. “And then today … she again asked me, ‘Do you know how my students are?’ And that touched me, her family and her mother. Abigail wanted me to tell you all, but primarily her students and the parents of her students, she is in stable condition and she is thankful for the thoughts and prayers that have gone out to her. The people that have reached out not only here locally but across our state and across our nation. She is very, very appreciative of the support that she is getting. And continues to get,” he explained.

Drew detailed the how the incident went down, praising Zwerener for her bravery and ability to stay calm in a moment like that. He ended his comments by saying, “I’d like to reiterate that this shooting was not accidental. It was intentional. I believe, I told her today, I believe Ms. Zwerner, Abigail. She saved lives on Friday. She is a trooper. She is a hero”