Backpack had been searched prior to shooting by Virginia 6-year-old

A 6-year-old boy who allegedly shot his first grade teacher last week in Virginia had his backpack searched prior to the shooting, but no weapon was found, according to local station WAVY-TV.

“At least one administrator was notified of a possible weapon in the timeline that we’re reviewing and was aware that that student had, that there was a weapon on campus,” George Parker, the superintendent of the Newport News Public Schools, told parents during a meeting on Thursday.

Authorities have said the boy brought a 9mm handgun to school in his backpack on Jan. 6 and fired one round at his teacher, 25-year-old Abby Zwerner, who is currently in stable condition, according to The Associated Press.

In the wake of the shooting, Parker said the school district has been in contact with Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where a shooting in May left 19 children and two adults dead.

After three gun-related incidents in the last year and a half, Newport News is considering several new precautions, including requiring students to use clear backpacks and installing permanent metal detectors, Parker added on Thursday.

“We want to make sure that we have measures in place that will allow our faculty and our students, and you our parents, to feel … confidence that your student is entering a safe building on a daily basis,” he said.