Analysis-Southern Africa calls the tune as great power suitors queue up

South Africa-Russia bilateral meeting in Pretoria

Thu, January 26, 2023 
By Tim Cocks and Carien Du Plessis

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa and its neighbours were at the centre of a tussle for influence this week when top Russian and U.S. officials visited, offering a rare moment of leverage for governments on a continent more used to being buffeted by events than wooed.

With a war in Europe pitting invading Russian forces against Ukraine's army supplied with Western arms, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen were both on the hunt for broader international support.

For the countries of southern Africa, which maintain strong ideological and historical sympathies for Russia but hold far more significant trade balances with the European Union and United States, that rivalry presents an opportunity.

"They have the opportunity to play one side off against the other to get concessions; to get more aid, more trade," said Steven Gruzd from the South African Institute of International Affairs. "That's precisely what we're seeing at the moment."

The war in Ukraine has intensified long-standing great power competition for access to Africa's abundant natural resources and the diplomatic prize of its 54 U.N. votes.

But Africa's voting patterns at the United Nations show a continent divided over which side to support in Ukraine's war.

Landlocked between South Africa and Mozambique and with a gross domestic product of less than $5 billion, the tiny kingdom of Eswatini doesn't often command the attention of world powers. No Russian diplomat is based there.

Nevertheless Lavrov made a stopover after visiting South Africa, which his counterpart Thulisile Dladla described as a "profound honour." The two sides signed a visa waver agreement.

Eswatini relies on the United States for aid, but its absolute monarchy has suffered U.S. criticism on human rights.

'MULTIPOLAR'

For South Africa, the continent's economic powerhouse and diplomatic heavyweight, it was an opportunity to thumb its nose at a Western alliance it regards as too bossy and hegemonic.

Receiving Lavrov in Pretoria, his counterpart Naledi Pandor defended joint military drills planned with Russia and China as a "natural course of relations" between "friends", and suggested South Africa no longer believed that Russia ought to withdraw from Ukraine, unless a peace deal is agreed.

South Africa, alongside Russia and China, is pushing for a "multipolar" world in which geopolitical power is less concentrated around the United States. For that reason, it is an enthusiastic exponent of a proposed political and trade alliance between Brazil, Russia, India, China and itself (BRICS) -- for which it is holding a summit later this year.

"A more inclusive multipolar world. This is the vision of the BRICS family and what we all subscribe to," Anil Sooklal, South Africa's official in charge of BRICS, told Reuters.

But South Africa's exports to Russia were $587 million in 2020, while its exports to the United States in the same year were $10.2 billion, data from The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) shows.

"South Africa takes BRICS very seriously, but reality is BRICS has (offered it) very little," said Tom Lodge, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Limerick. "It hasn't delivered the kind of benefits South Africa was hoping to get."

Russia-ally China, a major trade partner, has been more interested in basics like wine and wool than the high-tech value -added products South Africa wants to sell, Lodge said, adding, "the United States provides better trading opportunities."

Yet despite South Africa's refusal to vote against Russia at the U.N. and its rejection of NATO's stance on Ukraine, Yellen met South African officials and on Thursday will visit mining sites that stand to lose jobs from the transition to green energy of which the United States is a major funder.

'TOO IMPORTANT'

While Angola's ageing political class still remembers Russia's support for its then-Marxist People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in its 27-year civil war against Washington-backed rebels, there has been a marked shift towards the West since President João Lourenço took over in 2017.

"Angola is one of a few African countries to condemn Russia's actions – apparently under pressure from the EU," said South African political risk analyst Marisa Lourenco, noting "a strong pivot towards the U.S. and away from Russia."

Angola is also seeking to deepen ties with Germany, France and its former colonial ruler Portugal, she said. Lourenço even suggested in an interview with Voice of America in December that he would like to ditch Russian military assistance in favour of the U.S. military equipment programme.

That didn't stop Lavrov making courtesy call to Luanda on Wednesday, where he offered to double university scholarships to Angolan students to 300 next year in an exercise of Russian soft power. Russia's Alrosa, the world's largest diamond producer, has a 41% stake in a massive Angolan mine.

"The Russians do want to say very loudly that they are not isolated, and that they are welcome everywhere," said Irina Filatova, Emeritus humanities professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

"(That) will not endear (southern Africa) to the U.S. or the British, but it doesn't mean they will stop trading," she said. "It's too important."

(Editing by William Maclean)

Nigeria election 2023: Who is Bola Tinubu?

Nduka Orjinmo - BBC News, Abuja
Fri, January 27, 2023 

Bola Tinubu wields enormous power in western Nigeria politics

Bola Tinubu, 70, widely credited with reshaping Nigeria's commercial hub Lagos, will lead the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) into February's presidential election but he faces a reinvigorated opposition, allegations of corruption, and health issues as he eyes one of Africa's most daunting jobs.

Once forced into exile by military ruler Sani Abacha, Mr Tinubu knows the value of freedom and wears it as an insignia on his signature hat - a broken shackle that looks like a horizontal figure of eight.

A trained accountant, it was the activities of the pro-democracy National Democratic Coalition (Nadeco) group, where he was a member, that brought him into Abacha's crosshairs.

The opposition of groups like Nadeco, and Abacha's death in 1998, ushered in Nigeria's democracy in 1999 and in many ways, Mr Tinubu, a former Mobil oil executive, feels entitled to Nigeria's presidency.

He will be banking on his experience in politics and huge influence across the country to win the election, where he will face stiff competition from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who is standing for the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP), and a burgeoning campaign by the Labour Party's Peter Obi, who is hugely popular with urban voters.

If Mr Tinubu, known as "Jagaban" by supporters, gets the top job, he would be looking to unify a country divided across regional lines, tackle widespread insecurity, create jobs and bring down rising inflation.

But it is not a job that fazes him. He has pointed to his time as Lagos state governor between 1999 and 2007 to sell his candidacy Nigerians.

Under his tenure, Lagos massively grew its income through huge foreign investment, while a public transport scheme that saw new lanes created for rapid buses eased the notorious traffic jams faced daily by commuters.

Despite its enormous wealth, Lagos has not been able to solve its notorious traffic jams by completing a light rail project started by Mr Tinubu

But the city of around 25 million people has not lived up to its reputation as a megacity despite his claims of turning it around.

Public infrastructure is largely in a state of disrepair - basic amenities such as water and public housing are decrepit, while a light rail project started during his reign has not been completed almost 20 years later despite the riches of the state.

He has also been accused of keeping a grip on state finances despite leaving office in 2007.

Every governor that has succeeded him has been a protégé following a "grand roadmap", while one that dared to find his own path was quickly brought to heel, aided by powerful transport union members.

There are also allegations of corruption against Mr Tinubu, which he denies.

Two years ago, Dapo Apara, an accountant at Alpha-beta, a firm where Mr Tinubu purportedly holds stakes through a crony, accused him of using the firm for money laundering, fraud, tax evasion and other corrupt practices.

Mr Tinubu was sued despite him and Alpha-beta denying the allegations but all parties decided to settle out of court last June.

Such allegations, including twice facing Nigeria's Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), on allegations of breaching the code of public officers - where he was cleared - make opponents say Mr Tinubu is not the right man for the job in a country where corruption is high.

In the last election, a brazen display of an armoured van used by banks to move money driving into his palatial compound in the Ikoyi area of Lagos fuelled suspicions that he was involved in vote-buying, which he made no great effort to deny.

"If I have money, if I like, I give it to the people free of charge, as long as [it's] not to buy votes," he said.

He is one of Nigeria's richest politicians but there are questions about his wealth.

In December, he told the BBC that he inherited some real estate which he then invested, but in the past he also said he became an "instant millionaire" while working as an auditor at Deloitte and Touche.

He said he had saved $1.8m (£1.5m) from his wages and other allowances, nearly the same amount found in accounts linked to him in a 1993 dispute with the US authorities.

In documents that are publicly available, the US Department of Justice alleged that from early 1988, accounts opened in the name of Bola Tinubu held the proceeds of sales of white heroin.

Kevin Moss, the special agent that investigated the operation, alleged that Mr Tinubu worked for their prime suspect Adegoboyega Akande.

While the court confirmed it had cause to believe the money in the bank accounts were the proceeds of drug trafficking, Mr Tinubu and the others denied the allegations, and the court never made a final order about the money's origins.

Instead, Mr Tinubu, who was not personally charged over the money, reached a compromise settlement with authorities and forfeited $460,000.

Mr Tinubu also faces questions about his health, once posting an eight-second video of him riding an exercise bike as proof-of-life.

Opponents say his age is catching up with him and point to videos of various gaffes at campaign rallies where it can be hard to understand what he's saying.

Many Nigerians are wary of another president with health issues after President Umaru Yar'Adua died in office in 2010 and a current president who has spent considerable time getting medical treatment abroad.

But his supporters say he has the stamina for the job and is not competing for a spot at the Olympics.

Mr Tinubu (L) claims to have helped both Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (C) and President Buhari (R) into office

There has also been some controversy about his choice of a running-mate.

Mr Tinubu, a southern Muslim, picked former Borno state governor Kashim Shettima, a northern Muslim, as his vice.

This move was seen as appeasing Nigeria's Muslim-majority north which has the largest voting bloc in the country.

However, it drew the ire of many Christians who say it went against the tradition of mixed-faith tickets for the presidency.

He defended his choice, saying he went for competence over primordial interests.

He is seen as the political godfather of the south-west region and its most influential figure, who decides how power is distributed among his many acolytes.

In 2015 he described describes himself as a "talent hunter" that puts "talents into office".

His immense political influence led to the merger of opposition parties in 2013 and eventually wrestled power from the then-ruling PDP in 2015 - a rarity in Nigeria where incumbents are not often defeated.

During his party primary, when it looked as though Mr Tinubu's aspirations were flagging, he reminded Nigerians that he was largely responsible for installing President Muhammadu Buhari after the former military ruler had failed on several occasions to win the presidency.

Mr Buhari's associates have since tried to downplay the former governor's influence in the 2015 election, but it is unlikely that the current president would have emerged, twice, without the backing of Mr Tinubu.

That is why his supporters saw it as a betrayal when Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who worked with Mr Tinubu as a commissioner in Lagos, ran against his former boss for the APC ticket.

If he wins February's election, which is likely to be tightly contested, he will have to tackle many issues left behind by Mr Buhari - widespread insecurity, high unemployment, rising inflation and a country divided along ethnic lines.

It is not an impossible job, but the task ahead is daunting.

Nigeria election graphic

• PETER OBI: The frugal businessman capturing young Nigerian hearts

• ATIKU ABUBAKAR: The man who wants Nigerians to look back to go forward

• FULL COVERAGE: Nigeria Elections 2023

Nigeria election graphic

Africa needs to learn to feed itself, says Senegal president


Senegal and African Development Bank hosts food summit


Wed, January 25, 2023 
By Bate Felix

DAKAR (Reuters) -Africa must produce more food instead of relying on imports and aid, Senegalese President Macky Sall told leaders gathered in the West African nation's capital for a summit on Wednesday.

The continent is facing its worst food crisis ever, with more than one in five Africans – a record 278 million people – facing hunger, according to United Nations estimates.

Heavy debt burdens from the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine which raised prices of fuel, grain and edible oils and diverted aid have added to long-term causes of food insecurity such as climate change and conflict, experts say.

"Africa needs to learn to feed itself and contribute to feeding the world," said Sall, who is also chairman of the African Union.

"We have the potential, with around 60% of arable land here that is not exploited," he said. "It is paradoxical that we still need to import the essentials of what we need."

Over the next three days of the summit, leaders will present their national priorities on food security to development banks and other international partners including the United States, the European Union and Britain.

The meeting is meant to mobilize political commitment, development partner support and private sector investment to increase food production in Africa, said the African Development Bank, which is backing the summit.

"It is time for Africa to feed Africa," said Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, who said African countries spend around $70 billion annually on food imports.

The bank will commit $10 billion over the next five years to support development in food and agriculture, he said.

Sall urged countries to adhere to the 2003 Maputo declaration on agriculture, which calls on African states to allocate 10% of their national budgets to agricultural development.

While Senegal allocates around 12%, some countries are yet to meet the target, he said.

He also said countries must support smallholder farmers who make up the bulk of producers on the continent. Women and youth in particular need more access to finance and land, said Sall.

The United States has made food security a priority as it reasserts its presence on the continent, seeking to counter the influence of Russia and China.

The U.S. and the African Union last month signed a strategic food security initiative at Biden's African Leaders Summit. Among other things it will help African countries access fertilizer, which is becoming scarcer and more expensive.

(Reporting by Bate Felix; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Alex Richardson and Philippa Fletcher)

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M; DISANTISLAND
Florida, land of scams, strikes again. This time, it’s fake nursing degrees | Opinion


Rogelio V. Solis/AP

the Miami Herald Editorial Board
Wed, January 25, 2023

When it comes to healthcare fraud in Florida, you’ve got to work awfully hard to stand out.

We’ve long been a hotbed of Medicare fraud. We elected governor — and then U.S. senator — Rick Scott, despite knowing that his hospital company had been slapped with a record-setting $1.7 billion fine for fraudulent billing and practices and that he’d been forced out. We spent years playing a starring — and shameful — role in the “pill mill” scandal, as Florida’s pain clinics became the scourge of the nation for pumping out opioids to addicts, helping fuel a crisis that remains with us today.
Ground Zero

We keep making national headlines for this stuff. Just this month, a Palm Beach County doctor who served as medical director for more than 50 sober homes, treatment centers and testing labs got a 20-year sentence in the Justice Department’s largest addiction fraud case ever.

And now Florida nursing schools are in the glare of the spotlight. According to the feds, a network of nursing-school operators, based in South Florida, has been selling fake degrees, allowing unqualified people to become certified as nurses. They could bypass a nearly two-year nursing program requiring clinical work, national exams and certification and simply pay up between $10,000 and $17,000 for a falsified transcript.

Prosecutors said this was a scheme designed to capitalize on the nursing shortage that has been worsened by COVID, a particularly heartless calculation — even under the low standards of empathy-challenged Florida.

There were recruiters and coaches to help students pass the tests. Armed with bogus diplomas, the students took tests to be certified in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Texas. About a third of the estimated 7,600 students who took the tests passed, with the majority of them in New York.

We’d apologize to New York — except a certification there also allows the students to work in Florida.

At least 20 arrests

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe, who has been in office for less than a month, announced Wednesday that more than 20 people have been arrested. The joint investigation by the DOJ, the FBI and the inspector general’s office of the Department of Health and Human Services was called “Operation Nightingale” — a reference to Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

That’s because this scheme, if true, isn’t just criminal. It’s also a violation of the trust we put in the nursing profession. Patients, including children and the elderly, could have been harmed. Nurses perform some of the most important tasks in any medical setting. The damage to the nursing profession in a situation like this is severe.

As Lapointe said, when it comes to nurses’ credentials, “Shortcut is not a word we want to use.”

Not even in Florida.

Colorado baker loses appeal over transgender birthday cake
 

Colorado baker Jack Phillips

 Colorado lawyer Autumn Scardina poses for photos outside the Ralph Carr Colorado Judicial Center in Denver, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Scardina, who is transgender, sued Colorado baker Jack Phillips after he refused to make her a cake intended to celebrate her gender transition. 

(AP Photo/Colleen Slevin, File)

COLLEEN SLEVIN
Thu, January 26, 2023 

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado baker who won a partial U.S. Supreme Court victory after refusing to make a gay couple’s wedding cake because of his Christian faith lost an appeal Thursday in his latest legal fight, involving his rejection of a request for a birthday cake celebrating a gender transition.

The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that that the cake Autumn Scardina requested from Jack Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop, which was to be pink with blue frosting, is not a form of speech.

It also found that the state law that makes it illegal to refuse to provide services to people based on protected characteristics like race, religion or sexual orientation does not violate business owners' right to practice or express their religion.

Relying on the findings of a Denver judge in a 2021 trial in the dispute, the appeals court said Phillips' shop initially agreed to make the cake but then refused after Scardina explained that she was going to use it to celebrate her transition from male to female.

“We conclude that creating a pink cake with blue frosting is not inherently expressive and any message or symbolism it provides to an observer would not be attributed to the baker,” said the court, which also rejected procedural arguments from Phillips.

Phillips, who is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, maintains that the cakes he creates are a form of speech and plans to appeal.

“One need not agree with Jack’s views to agree that all Americans should be free to say what they believe, even if the government disagrees with those beliefs,” ADF senior counsel Jake Warner said in a statement.

John McHugh, one of the lawyers who represent Scardina, said the court looked carefully at all the arguments and evidence from the trial.

“They just object to the idea of Ms. Scardina wanting a birthday cake that reflects her status as a transgender woman because they object to the existence of transgender people,” he said of Phillips and his shop.

In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had acted with anti-religious bias in enforcing the anti-discrimination law against Phillips after he refused to bake a cake celebrating the wedding of Charlie Craig and Dave Mullins in 2012. The justices called the commission unfairly dismissive of Phillips’ religious beliefs.

The high court did not rule then on the larger issue of whether a business can invoke religious objections to refuse service to LGBTQ people, but it has another chance to do so.

Last year it heard another case challenging Colorado's anti-discrimination law, brought by a Christian graphic artist who does not want to design wedding websites for same-sex couples. Lorie Smith, who is also represented by ADF, claims the law violates her freedom of speech.

Scardina, an attorney, attempted to order her cake on the same day in 2017 that the Supreme Court announced it would hear Phillips’ appeal in the wedding cake case. During trial, she testified that she wanted to “challenge the veracity” of Phillips' statements that he would serve LGBTQ customers.

Before filing her lawsuit, Scardina first filed a complaint against Phillips with the state and the civil rights commission, which found probable cause that he had discriminated against her.

Phillips then filed a federal lawsuit against Colorado, accusing it of a “crusade to crush” him by pursuing the complaint.

In March 2019, lawyers for the state and Phillips agreed to drop both cases under a settlement Scardina was not involved in. She pursued the lawsuit against Phillips and Masterpiece on her own.

1

Virginia Democrats Defeat 15-Week Abortion Ban And Glenn Youngkin's Anti-Choice Agenda

Alanna Vagianos

Thu, January 26, 2023

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) push for a 15-week abortion ban died late Wednesday evening when a state Senate subcommittee blocked the ban along with two other restrictions.

The education and health committee blocked the proposed abortion restrictions with a 9-5 vote, officially defeating the 15-week ban, a near-total ban and a ban on the procedure later in pregnancy. Although the near-total abortion restriction was more extreme, the 15-week ban was the focus for many Virginia Republicans after Youngkin made it a priority in his December budget proposal.

“Despite Gov. Youngkin and his allies’ relentless efforts to undermine our health and rights, today we reaffirmed that there is no place for abortion bans in Virginia,” Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, said in a statement.

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Louise Lucas (D), who is on the subcommittee that defeated the three abortion restrictions, tweeted about the victory on Wednesday night.

“All of Glenn Youngkin’s bills to limit abortion rights come to my committee. I put them straight into my trash can,” Lucas tweeted with a photo of her throwing the bills in a garbage can.

Youngkin’s 15-week abortion ban would have carried criminal penalties of up to 10 years in prison and/or $100,000 in fines for physicians who provided an abortion. It included narrow exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the pregnant person.

Virginia Republicans knew the bill would likely fail after Democrats won a critical state Senate seat in a special election earlier this month. But the continued push for abortion restrictions was likely meant to appeal to a national audience. Youngkin is a potential 2024 presidential candidate and may need to point to his anti-abortion record in order to be competitive.

Virginia currently allows abortion through the second trimester of pregnancy and into the third if the mother’s life is at risk. In addition, it’s one of a handful of states that allows abortion through the 28th week of pregnancy, making it a safe haven for abortions later in pregnancy.

Experts explain why California is still rife with gun violence despite some of the most stringent gun laws in the country


People attend a candlelight vigil for victims of a deadly mass shooting at a ballroom dance studio, as a person holds a sign reading 'The Problem Is Guns!', on Jan. 24, 2023 in Monterey Park, Calif.

 (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

JULIA JACOBO
Thu, January 26, 2023 

Even the state with some of the strictest gun laws can't keep gun violence away from its borders.

California has some of the most stringent gun laws in the country -- many of which were enacted in response to several of the violent mass shootings in recent years.

But that hasn't stopped a wave of mass shootings from plaguing the state in the first few weeks of 2023.

MORE: There have been more mass shootings than days in 2023, database shows

On Monday, at least seven people were killed in Half Moon Bay, California, just south of San Francisco, after a suspect open fired on two farms in the rural town, according to officials. Hours after the shooting in Half Moon Bay, one person died and seven were injured in Oakland, just east of San Francisco, across the San Francisco Bay.

A shooting that occurred on Saturday at a dance studio in Monterey Park, a suburb of Los Angeles, claimed the lives of 11 people and injured nine more.

The "status quo" even with increasingly severe gun regulations, is not working, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told reporters on Sunday evening in response to the Monterey Park shooting.

"California is known for having strict gun laws, but it is not surprising that guns are prevalent in the state," Matthew Lang, a professor of economics at the University of California Riverside who has studied firearms sales, told ABC News.

These are the current gun laws in California

California has "led the way" for gun safety regulations, California Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters on Tuesday in response to the recent shootings. Everytown for Gun Safety ranks California as No. 1 in the country for gun law strength -- as well as the eighth-lowest rate of gun deaths and sixth-lowest gun ownership rate.

In 1989, California passed the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act following the killings of five schoolchildren at the Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton that year. The law was nation's first ban on "assault weapons," then a new classification of firearms, which defined them as having characteristics such as a detachable magazine, a flash suppressor, a forward pistol grip and a thumbhole stock. The state has continually updated the law, the current iteration of which is currently the strictest in the country.

In 2016, Californians passed Proposition 63, which requires background checks for purchasing ammunition and prohibits possession of large capacity magazines. A red flag law also went into effect that year, which prevents certain people from obtaining firearms.

The state employs a licensing system for gun and ammunition purchases, and bans the sale of most handguns that don't have a magazine safety or loaded-chamber indicator. It also requires safe storage of guns, and some cities require liability insurance for gun sellers.

Those seeking to purchase a firearm must pass a written test to obtain a Firearm Safety Certificate and are limited to buying one handgun per month. There is also a 10-day waiting period between applying for and obtaining firearms.

A message dedicated to victims, which is attached to a floral arrangement, is seen before the start of a candlelight vigil for victims of a deadly mass shooting at a ballroom dance studio on Jan. 24, 2023 in Monterey Park, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

While concealed firearms may be carried in public with a permit, law enforcement can deny approval of permits. The permits are also issued after a background check determines that the applicant is of good moral character, has good cause for requesting the license, completes a firearms safety course and meets the residency requirement.

In addition, the state requires child-safety firearm locks and requires guns to be safely stored in vehicles. Laws in California further prohibit the sale and manufacture of unsafe handguns and regulate ghost guns.

In 2022, in response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas that killed 19 students and two teachers, Newsom approved a barrage of new legislation, including a law that would raise the minimum age for sales and transfer of firearms and invest state funds to support evidence-based community violence intervention strategies.

MORE: Supreme Court decision creates confusion over which firearm restrictions are constitutional

While the recent wave of mass shootings in California may appear the severe gun laws aren't working, people are not seeing all of the times they do prevent violence, Dr. Amy Barnhorst, associate director for the California Firearm Violence Research Center at the University of California Davis, told ABC News.

"Unfortunately, firearms in this country are so pervasive that it’s going to take a lot to stop it," Barnhorst said. "The past work of legislation is undoubtedly reducing deaths from firearms."

A member of law enforcement near the site of a deadly shooting, Jan. 22, 2023 in Monterey Park, Calif. 

(Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

Why California gun laws aren't preventing shootings

There are too many guns in the U.S. to completely prevent gun violence in any given state, the experts said. Gun violence is continuing to affect a large number of Californians, but at much lower rates than other states.

While 3,449 people died from gun violence in California in 2020, the state still has one of the lowest gun death rates in the country at 8.5 deaths per 100,000 people -- about 37% lower than the national average, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gun homicides in California, at a rate of 3.9 per 100,000 people, is much lower than Texas' rate of 6.1 per 100,000 people, figures from Everytown shows.

MORE: How closing the violent misdemeanor loophole could curb gun violence

California's gun laws, while wide-reaching, don't target everyone who is at risk of committing violence, Barnhorst said. For example, California's background checks dig a little deeper than what's available in the federal database, so California will catch more at-risk people than other states.

But, the background checks are not going to catch everyone, especially those without a criminal history, those who have never been psychiatrically hospitalized or who don't meet any of the other criteria for prohibition of owning a gun, she said.

In addition, at-risk purchasers could be answering questions on the background check untruthfully, especially questions regarding substance abuse and mental health problems, Lori Post, director of the Buehler Center for Health Policy and Economics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told ABC News.

"I think it just makes common sense that people willing to commit mass shootings are also willing to lie on background checks," she said.

Monterey Park mayor Henry Lo kneels at a makeshift memorial outside the scene of a deadly mass shooting at a ballroom dance studio on Jan. 23, 2023 in Monterey Park, Calif. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Despite the rigid requirements, the average citizen is still able to buy a gun in California, Lang said.

"Many people will be able to walk into a store, pass a background check and buy a firearm," Barnhorst said.

A common issue with gun laws is that they often require action by a third party to be effective, "regardless of how stringent they are," Lang said.

MORE: Who is Monterey Park shooting suspect Huu Can Tran? Acquaintance says he 'distrusted everyone'

For example, red flag laws are an important tool because "they allow intervention to happen before it gets really bad" and puts some power in the hands of ordinary citizens to do something, Barnhorst said.

But, while requests can be made to have a firearm removed from an individual, carrying out this request must go through court proceedings. In addition, someone must take the uncomfortable role of actually making the request and potentially jeopardizing their relationship with the individual they are concerned about, Lang added.

The red flag laws in California are "severely underutilized," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement on Wednesday.

PHOTO: A stop sign is seen near a gun store in Culver City, Calif., on March 23, 2021. (Ringo Chiu/AP)

The federal government needs to step up its gun regulations, critics say

President Joe Biden has reignited his calls for a nation-wide ban on assault rifles following the recent mass shootings in California, urging both chambers of Congress to "act quickly" and deliver the assault weapons ban to his desk.

On Monday, a federal ban on assault weapons, as well as legislation that would raise the minimum purchase age to 21, was introduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

Newsom lambasted Americans, especially the federal government, on Tuesday for not finding ways to prevent mass casualties caused by gun violence in response to the recent mass shootings that took place in his state.

The governor acknowledged that those laws will not save every life and that one state can only do so much, calling on the federal government to do more.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out several rulings from lower courts that upheld gun restrictions, including a law that banned AR15-style rifles in Maryland, another banning large-capacity ammunition magazines in New Jersey and California and a New York law limiting the concealed carry of handguns in public areas.

"We must provide the public with protection from gun violence and respect the authority of states as they implement common sense gun regulations to safeguard their communities," Bonta said on Wednesday.

 FBI officials walk towards from the crime scene at Mountain Mushroom Farm, Jan. 24, 2023, after a gunman killed several people at two agricultural businesses in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (Aaron Kehoe/AP)

A report published by the University of California Berkeley's Center for Global Healthy Cities in 2021 found that the gun violence reduction program, Advance Peace, helped to decrease firearm homicides and assaults in several California cities, including by almost a quarter in Stockton, which in turn saved taxpayers millions of dollars in city expenses.

Organizations like Sandy Hook Promise, the Violence Policy Center and Everytown called on federal legislators to enact simple policy actions, such as background checks for all gun sales, secure storage, magazine limits for firearms and extreme risk protection orders, which they say have been proven to prevent the loss of life from gun violence.

Evidence-based gun laws work, especially ones that target high-risk people and high-risk moments, Barnhorst said.

"Looking at the data of who tends to perpetrate mass shootings, domestic violence, firearms suicide and then really targeting problem areas, is a better approach than reactively passing legislation.," she said.

 Governor Gavin Newsom met at the I.D.E.S. Portuguese Hall in Half Moon Bay, Calif., with victims' families, local leaders and community members that were impacted by the devastating shootings at two mushroom farms yesterday, Jan. 24, 2023.

 (Aaron Kehoe/AP)

Newsom accused politicians in Washington of "cowering" and giving into gun rights interest groups instead of protecting Americans.

"We’re supposed to be better than that," he said on Tuesday. "We’re supposed to be leading the world, not just responding to these mass crises and expressing damn prayers and condolences over and over and over again."

ABC News' William Hutchinson contributed to this report.
 abcnews.go.com

Where have Republicans been during California's mass shootings? They're busy appeasing the gun worshiping cult

George Skelton
Thu, January 26, 2023 


Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to victims' families, local leaders and residents in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on Tuesday. (Aaron Kehoe / Associated Press)

Gov. Gavin Newsom has spoken more eloquently than anyone else about the three California mass shootings that occurred in rapid sequence, killing at least 24.

“What the hell is going on?” the longtime gun control advocate asked simply Tuesday in Half Moon Bay, where a 66-year-old farmworker was accused of fatally shooting seven co-workers and wounding another because of some grievance.

“Only in America. … The absurdity.”

Yes, America is certainly not great on gun deaths, and never will be as long as we’re blocked from much-needed national firearms regulations by Republicans.

Among the major industrialized nations, the United States has by far the highest gun homicide rate. No other country is anywhere close. That’s because other nations tightly restrict access to firearms.

America can’t do that because of the 2nd Amendment, but we could do a much better job nationally than we’re doing.

UCLA law professor Adam Winkler, who specializes in gun law, winces whenever politicians and pundits crow about California’s tough gun restrictions.

“We need to stop saying things like, ‘California has strict gun laws,’” he says. “That’s only in comparison to Texas and Mississippi. Compared to England, Japan and France, California has among the loosest firearms restrictions in the world. We don’t have incredibly strict gun laws.”

I’m not always a fan of Newsom’s rhetoric. It’s often overly emotional, awfully wordy and too repetitive. This is particularly true when he’s trying to enhance his national stature among Democrats by attacking conservative governors in Texas and Florida. I figure he has plenty to be angry about in his own state concerning problems that affect fellow Californians.

But on these shootings, he has had the right tone and length, especially in Half Moon Bay, a small coastal town just south of San Francisco. There he met with victims’ families, local leaders and reporters.

Newsom spoke of his frustration over mouthing “the same thing over and over and over” after each mass shooting. And aren’t we all tired of doing that?

“I have no ideological opposition to someone owning a gun responsibly, but what the hell is wrong with us that we allow these weapons of war and large-capacity clips out on the streets and sidewalks?” he asked. “Why have we allowed this culture, this pattern, to continue?”

Most of us keep asking that.

“Where’s the Republican Party been on gun safety reform?” the Democratic governor continued. “They’ve fought it every step of the way. … Shame on them.”

Where has the GOP been? Appeasing the relatively small gun-worshiping cult and becoming more hard right, in large part due to the gerrymandering of U.S. House districts.

Red state legislatures draw House district lines to make them safer for Republicans against Democrats. Then the biggest threat to GOP incumbents becomes other Republicans.

In a competitive party primary, gun enthusiasts are often the decisive swing voters. And they’re single-issue voters — people whose decisions on candidates solely depend on a politician’s stance on guns.

GOP members of Congress fear that if they vote for major gun control, they’ll be booted out of office by fellow Republican constituents.

By contrast, most American voters — and certainly Californians — support national gun control, such as requiring universal background checks, banning assault weapons and limiting the capacity of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds. But gun control isn’t high on their priority list.

“It’s not on the top of people’s minds,” veteran Democratic consultant Bill Carrick says. “Inflation. Taxes. Boom. They’re on people’s minds all the time. The gun issue comes and goes as mass shootings come and go.”

California arguably has the nation’s strictest gun control laws, but they’re starting to be eroded by conservative courts, led by the U.S. Supreme Court. For example, California’s ban on high-capacity magazines is in litigation limbo.

And even with our surviving tough restrictions, they’re at the mercy of adjacent states — Nevada and Arizona — that have lax restrictions. Those neighbors are a great source of weapons for Californians who can’t arm themselves locally.

That’s why national regulations are needed — such as meaningful background checks and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s long-advocated assault weapons ban.

“The constant stream of mass shootings have one common thread: They almost all involve assault weapons,” Feinstein said in a statement while reintroducing her bill Monday. “It’s because these weapons were designed to kill as many people as quickly as possible. They have no business in our communities or schools.”

California was way ahead of the curve on assault weapon bans, passing its first in 1989 when Republican George Deukmejian was governor.

Deukmejian then was regarded as a mainstream conservative. Today he’d be seen by his party as a leftist.

Like a lot of people, I suspect, my first reaction upon hearing about the shooting rampage that killed 11 and wounded nine at a Monterey Park dance hall frequented by Asian Americans was that the culprit was a young male white supremacist. Wrong. It was a 72-year-old Asian American man.

So, there’s no common demographic or motive for these mass killers.

“The one common denominator is these damn guns,” Newsom said.

Yep.

Dr. Amy Barnhorst, a psychiatrist and associate director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis, says of mass shooters: “We can’t solve all their problems. But we can stop these people from acting out by keeping them away from large-capacity weapons.”

That won’t happen, however, as long as a few heavily armed firearms lovers outgun the rest of us politically. The majority needs to use their most powerful weapon, the vote.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

After 3 Weeks and a Flood of Details, Va. School Shooting Grows More Unthinkable

Asher Lehrer-Small
Thu, January 26, 2023 


It’s a tragedy that many observers have struggled to wrap their minds around: How could a 6-year-old access a loaded gun, bring it to school and fire it as his teacher? And how could school leaders ignore multiple warnings the little boy was armed?

In the weeks since the Jan. 6 shooting in Newport News, Virginia, which police almost immediately deemed intentional, new details continue to emerge, but with each revelation the incident becomes harder to understand.

That was especially true this week when the attorney for injured first-grade teacher ​​Abigail Zwerner alleged the school failed to intervene despite at least three warnings that the student was carrying a gun. The school board on Wednesday night terminated the district’s contract with its superintendent and the 6-year-old’s mother, who legally purchased the weapon, still faces the possibility of criminal charges.

Zwerner, 25, suffered a gunshot wound as a bullet passed through her hand and into her chest, police say. Law enforcement officials have said there was an altercation between the boy and his teacher but gave no details; another boy in the class told The Washington Post that Zwerner was shot after she tried to confiscate the gun. While injured, she ushered more than 15 other children out of the room to safety, according to police. The wound initially left Zwerner critically injured, but she was released from the hospital Jan. 20. A bullet remains lodged in her body, her lawyer said.

With national attention trained on the shooting and its aftermath, we recap the twists and turns of the disturbing event that encompasses ongoing debates over guns, student mental health, teacher support and school safety.

New details, timeline of events

In the hours before the first-grader shot his teacher, school employees warned leaders at least three times that the student might be armed, including a shrugged-off request to search his pockets and a teary report from another child that the boy had shown him the gun at recess, Zwerner’s lawyer said in a Wednesday news conference.

The timeline attorney Diane Toscano laid out goes as follows:

Sometime between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m., Zwerner reported to a school administrator that the 6-year-old child had threatened to beat up a classmate. The administrator took no action to check in with or remove the child, Toscano said.

An hour later at 12:30 p.m., another teacher told an administrator she had searched the child’s backpack for a weapon and found nothing, but believed the 6-year-old had put the gun in his pocket before heading outside for recess. The administrator allegedly dismissed the threat, saying the boy “has little pockets.”

Soon after 1 p.m., a third teacher told the administration that a child had tearfully confessed that his classmate showed him the gun at recess and threatened to shoot him if he told anyone, Toscano said.

A fourth employee then asked school leaders for permission to search the boy, but was denied and received instructions to wait because the school day was almost over, according to Toscano.

The child shot Zwerner roughly an hour later, said Toscano.

Walkie talkies seen through a side door at Richneck Elementary School the day after the shooting. (Jay Paul/Getty Images)

Under federal law, school staff can search a student if they have “reasonable suspicion,” a lower bar than the probable cause required of police when searching civilians. Reports by two students to officials that a student possesses a gun at school can represent reasonable suspicion for a search, according to a 1990 court ruling.

Shortly before the Virginia teacher was shot, she sent a frustrated text message to a loved one saying one of her students was armed and her school administration was failing to act, NBC reported on Wednesday. The outlet did not reveal the identity of the person who received the text or its exact wording.

Related: ‘This is a Pressure Cooker’: A Third of Teachers Faced Abuse and Threats Last Year. Researchers Say Behavior Has Likely Gotten Worse

A spokesperson for Newport News Public Schools declined to comment and noted that the district’s investigation into the incident is still ongoing.

The shooter’s family, however, called the shooting “horrific” and on Wednesday released a statement through their lawyer, James Ellenson.

“On behalf of the family of the child, we continue to pray for Ms. Zwerner and wish her a complete and full recovery,” Ellenson said. “Our hearts go out to all involved.”
Legal ramifications

Zwerner plans to sue the school district, Toscano said on Wednesday, alleging that officials could have prevented the shooting but failed to act.

The events on Jan. 6 came after weeks or more of disturbing behavior from the student that school officials appear to have downplayed. A Richneck educator spoke anonymously with The Washington Post and said, on one occasion, the boy had written a note to a teacher saying he hated her and wanted to light her on fire and watch her burn to death, but the school administration told the alarmed teacher to drop the matter. The teacher did not specify the date of the incident.

On another occasion, according to the teacher, the boy threw furniture and other classroom items, forcing classmates to hide under their desks. He also, on a separate occasion, barricaded the doors to a classroom, trapping students and an educator inside until a teacher from across the hall forced the doors open from the outside. The boy’s identity appears to be known by several reporters who have interviewed educators and others who know him, but neither he nor his parents have been identified.

The 6-year-old has an “acute disability” and has been under an intensive care plan at his school, his family said in a Jan. 19 statement through their lawyer.

The family described an unusual arrangement with the school, saying his mother or father had been accompanying the boy in class each day to help manage his disability, and that the week of the shooting was the first time he had been in class without a parent.

“We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives,” the family said.

Related: Intentional Shootings by Young Children Very Rare: What We Know

The child is currently receiving treatment at a medical facility after police took him into custody and obtained a temporary detention order.

Virginia is one of 24 states in the U.S. with no minimum age for prosecution. Still, it is “incredibly unlikely” the 6-year-old would be charged with or convicted of a crime because children that young are considered incapable of forming criminal intent or being able to understand trial proceedings, University of Virginia legal professor Andrew Block told CNN.

The child’s parents, however, may be in legal jeopardy, juvenile justice experts in Virginia say, even though no one has so far been charged in the shooting.

The 9mm Taurus pistol used in the shooting was legally purchased by the boy’s mother, according to police. Ellenson, the family’s lawyer, said the mother stored it on the top shelf of her bedroom closet and that the weapon had a trigger lock. Virginia law prohibits leaving a loaded firearm anywhere it is accessible to children under 14, a crime punishable by misdemeanor.

“A 6-year-old cannot go to the store and buy a gun,” David Riedman, founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database, told The 74. “So if a 6-year-old shoots somebody at a school, it’s because whoever owned the gun failed to be a responsible gun owner.”

Related: Can Educators and Police Predict the Next School Shooter?

School policy changes

Facing mounting pressure from community members, the Newport News school board Wednesday night voted 5-1 in favor of terminating the contract with its superintendent, George Parker III, effective Feb. 1.

“We’re going to have to become a much more student-disciplined and safety-oriented board and division, and that is potentially going to require a lot of new direction,” board member Douglas Brown said.

At Richneck Elementary, the principal has left and the assistant principal resigned, according to local reports. Karen Lynch, a principal in the district for 17 years, is leading the school’s reopening, according to a message sent to community members.

Students will return to campus on Monday, Jan. 30. On Wednesday, the school invited students and families back for a non-instructional, two-hour transition period to get re-accustomed to the building.

The school’s website says it is providing sessions with school social workers or licensed therapists to affected students or families seeking emotional support. However, the listed number went to voicemail when called by The 74 Thursday, and staff offered no comment on when the soonest available appointments for families seeking the services would be.

Earlier in January, school board Chairman Lisa Surles-Law said the district would purchase 90 walk-through metal detectors, to go in all 45 schools within the roughly 26,600-student district. Richneck Elementary would be the first school in which the detectors would be installed.

The district did not respond to questions from The 74 asking whether the metal detectors would be in place for Monday’s reopening. The most recent shooting was the third instance of gun violence on Newport News Public Schools grounds in 17 months.

Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones, who took office Jan. 1, met with President Joe Biden in the days after the shooting at Richneck Elementary School.

 (Mayor Phillip Jones/Twitter)

What’s next

Newport News is a medium-sized oceanside city on the Chesapeake Bay home to the nation’s largest military shipbuilding company and several military bases. Roughly half of students who attend the school district are Black, about a quarter are white and the remaining share are Latino, Asian or mixed race. About half of all students qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch.

In the city that, until weeks ago, was best known for building submarines and supercarriers, many questions remain unanswered.

Steve Drew, the city’s police chief, said his team by Friday expects to finish their interviews of children who were in the classroom when the shooting happened, but did not specify when the investigation would be complete.

Investigative reporter Mark Keierleber contributed to this report.

Teacher shot by 6-year-old says school was warned 4 times, announces lawsuit

BEATRICE PETERSON, MORGAN WINSOR and NADINE EL-BAWAB
Wed, January 25, 2023 

Abigail Zwerner, the teacher who was shot by a student in a classroom in Newport News, Virginia, earlier this month intends to file a lawsuit against the school board, her lawyer said Wednesday, alleging the shooting could have been prevented by school administrators.

Zwerner sustained a gunshot wound to the chest when a 6-year-old student brought a gun into a classroom at Richneck Elementary School and intentionally shot and wounded her, according to police. A bullet remains lodged in her body, according to Diane Toscano, Zwerner's lawyer.

"This should have never happened. It was preventable and thank God Abby is alive. But had the school administrators acted in the interest of their teachers and their students, Abby would not have sustained a gunshot wound to the chest," Toscano said at a press conference Wednesday.

Toscano revealed new details about the events leading up to the shooting, alleging that school administration was warned that the student had a gun with him at school and had threatened people several times the day of the shooting, but school administrators took no action.

Toscano alleged that the administration was warned four times by teachers and school employees that the unnamed student "had a gun on him at the school and was threatening people."

MORE: Virginia school shooting: 6-year-old brought gun in backpack, fired during instruction

Toscano laid out a timeline of events the day of the shooting:

At around 11:15 to 11:30 a.m., Zwerner went to a school administrator and told them that the 6-year-old had threatened to beat up another child that day. The administration did not take action or remove the student from the classroom, according to Toscano.

At 12:30 p.m. a teacher told a school administrator she searched the 6-year-old's backpack for a gun and told the administration that she believed the boy put the gun in his pocket before going outside for recess. The administrator downplayed the report and responded that the boy has little pockets, according to Toscano.

Shortly after 1 p.m., a third teacher told administrators that another student who was scared and crying confessed that the shooter showed him a gun at recess and threatened to shoot him if he told anyone, according to Toscano.

A fourth employee asked the administrator for permission to search the boy but was denied and was told to wait the situation out because the school day was almost over, according to Toscano.

Zwerner was shot almost an hour later, according to Toscano.

She is now home recovering, "but the road to recovery will be long," Toscano said.

Messages of support for teacher Abby Zwerner, who was shot by a 6 year old student, grace the front door of Richneck Elementary School, Jan. 9, 2023, in Newport News, Va.

 (John C. Clark/AP)

The press conference came hours before the Virginia public school system is set to decide the fate of its superintendent.

The Newport News School Board has called a special meeting for Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET to vote on a separation agreement with Newport News Public Schools Superintendent George Parker III and the appointment of an interim superintendent.

Parker has been under fire from teachers, parents and community members since the shooting. The boy, who has not been named publicly, allegedly took a handgun from his home, put it in his backpack and brought it to school that day before shooting his teacher in an "intentional" act, according to the Newport News Police Department.

Police said Zwerner was giving class instruction that afternoon when the student pointed the gun at her and fired one round. The teacher took a defensive position, raising her hand. The bullet went through her hand and into her chest, police said.

MORE: Teacher injured in shooting at Virginia elementary school, 6-year-old suspect in custody: Police

There was no physical struggle or fight, according to police.

After Zwerner was shot, she ushered all of her students out of the classroom. She was the last person to leave the room, police said.

About 16 to 20 students were in the classroom at the time of the shooting and none of them were physically injured, according to police.

Police said responding officers found a school employee physically restraining the 6-year-old suspect in the classroom. The boy allegedly hit the school employee before officers took him into custody. He was subsequently taken to a local hospital for evaluation, police said.

Since then, a temporary detention order has been obtained and the child is currently receiving treatment at a medical facility, according to police.

Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew has called Zwerner a "hero" who "saved lives." He told reporters that the teacher has repeatedly asked how her students are doing.

Zwerner was released from Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News last week and will continue to receive outpatient treatment, according to Riverside Health System.

 Residents of Newport News hold a candlelight vigil in honor of Richneck Elementary School first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner at the School Administration Building in Newport News, Va., Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. (John C. Clark/AP, FILE)

Police said the investigation into the Jan. 6 incident, including a motive, is ongoing and no one has been charged so far. Richneck Elementary School has remained closed in the meantime.

The 9 mm Taurus pistol used in the shooting was legally purchased by the boy's mother, according to police.

MORE: 6-year-old's backpack was searched the day of shooting that injured a teacher, school district says

During a town hall meeting with parents earlier this month, Parker said the student's backpack was searched at school the morning of Jan. 6, after someone reported he may have had a weapon. The person who searched the backpack didn't find a weapon, according to the superintendent. It was unclear who conducted the search or how the tip about the weapon was received.

When asked for comment, a police spokesperson told ABC News: "We have determined through our investigation that a school employee was notified of a possible firearm at Richneck Elementary before the shooting occurred. The Newport News Police Department was not notified of this information prior to the incident. I cannot release any further information at this time because of the ongoing investigation."

A sign wishing students a 'Happy New Year' is seen outside Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, on Jan. 7, 2023. (Jay Paul/Getty Images)

Earlier this month, Newport News School Board Chair Lisa Surles-Law said they have been given approval to purchase 90 walk-through metal detectors, which will be installed in every school across the district, starting with Richneck Elementary School. The district will also bolster protocols on handling school violence, including implementing a safety stand down and reviewing student conduct and discipline records, according to Surles-Law.

The unnamed family of the boy released a statement last week, saying the "firearm our son accessed was secured" and 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."

MORE: Family of 6-year-old who shot teacher speaks out for 1st time

"The week of the shooting 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 family said. "Since this incident, our son has been under hospital care and receiving the treatment he needs."

The boy's family called the shooting "horrific" and noted that they "have been cooperating with local and federal law enforcement to understand how this could have happened."

"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," they added. "She has worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son. We thank her for her courage, grace and sacrifice."

ABC News' Meredith Deliso, Caroline Guthrie, Davone Morales, Emily Shapiro and Ben Siu contributed to this report.

Teacher shot by 6-year-old says school was warned 4 times, announces lawsuit originally appeared on abcnews.go.com