A six-year-old boy fired his mother’s handgun inside a Virginia classroom, critically injuring a teacher. He was not prosecuted due to age, but his mother received a two-year prison sentence. A civil suit seeks $10 million in damages.

Social Context

U.S. juvenile justice law sets minimum prosecution ages—Virginia’s is 14—making this incident part of national debate over safe storage laws. The state enacted the 2023 Safe Storage Act requiring locked firearm storage when minors are present, with civil liability for violations.

Safety Tip

Parents must use DOJ-certified trigger locks AND store firearms separately from ammunition in UL-rated safes—state laws increasingly impose strict liability for failures.