The 25-year-old teacher was intentionally shot in the chest by a six-year-old boy in stable condition in Virginia

The Virginia teacher who was intentionally shot in the chest by her six-year-old student on Friday afternoon is now in stable condition, the Newport News police chief said.

Chief Steve Drew met with Abby Zwerner, 25, and her family this morning and announced in a statement Saturday afternoon that her condition is improving.

Zwerner, a first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School, was hospitalized with serious injuries on Friday after she was shot by a 6-year-old boy during an “argument” in a classroom. The child remains in police custody.

Chief Steve Drew (pictured) met with Abby Zwerner, 25, and her family on Saturday morning and said in a statement her condition is improving

Abby Zwerner (pictured), 25, a first grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School, was hospitalized with serious injuries on Friday after being shot in the chest by a 6-year-old boy

The Newport News Police Department said in a statement this afternoon: “Regarding the January 6 shooting at Richneck Elementary School, Chief Steve Drew met with the victim and her family this morning.

“She has improved and is currently in stable condition. Chief Drew has asked you to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.”

“The individual is a six-year-old college student and is currently in police custody,” Drew said at a news conference on Friday. “This was not an accidental shooting.

“It was in a classroom, there was an altercation,” he said. “We haven’t had a situation where anyone bypassed the school shooting. We had a situation at a certain place where a shot was fired.’

Crowds of parents waited outside Richneck Elementary School after the 2 p.m. shooting in which a six-year-old allegedly shot his teacher on purpose after an “argument.”

Zwerner was shot in the chest around 2 p.m. Friday at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News

The shooting happened just before 2 p.m. at Richneck Elementary School, a school for children ages five to nine. No children were hurt and police are working to determine how the child got access to the gun.

A grandmother of one of the students told DailyMail.com that a student brought “shining gold balls” to school last week, but it was unclear if it was the same child who was taken into custody today.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, she said: “Parents outside said their child has told them a child has been bringing shiny gold bullets to school and is thinking of bringing his gun. The student informed the parents, who informed the school.

“And the school got back to the parents just yesterday and said the kid’s parents said it was a nerf bullet and the parents said nerf bullets aren’t shiny and gold.”

She wasn’t sure if the child who brought the “bullets” is the same child allegedly involved in the shooting today.

Carlos Glover, nine, (pictured) was seen leaving school with his mother Joselin after the shooting. A student was taken into custody, but police have not released the student’s name

The shooting happened in the classroom and was an isolated incident. Officers are still trying to figure out how they managed to get the gun

Parent Sebastian Gonzalez-Hernandez confirmed Zwerner’s identity to DailyMail.com and also described her selflessness immediately afterwards.

He said “she yelled at her kids to run away” after the student fired a single bullet.

“Even after she was shot, she thought about the safety of her children,” Gonzalez-Hernandez said.

His own six-year-old, whose name he did not want to be named, was in the classroom when the gunshot went off.

“My son didn’t see what happened, he heard the shot and turned to see Miss Zwerner lying on the ground,” he told DailyMail.com on Friday.

“She is an amazing teacher, so dedicated. My son absolutely loves her and we are devastated by what happened. We are all thinking of her and hoping she gets better soon.”