A six-year-old Virginia pupil who shot his teacher fired a handgun at her while she was mid-class, police said.

Newport News police chief Steve Drew on Monday offered the first description of the shooting, which shocked the city and is notable even in a country that seems inured to constant gun violence.

The youngster pulled the gun out, pointed at the teacher and fired, he said.

There was no physical struggle over the gun preceding the shot, he added, and no pupils were hurt.

The gun was legally bought by the child’s mother in York County, Mr Drew said. It was in the boy’s home and he took it to school in a backpack, he said.

The teacher hurt in Friday’s shooting, Abby Zwerner, is in a stable condition at a local hospital. She was initially said to be fighting for life.

Describing her as a hero, Mr Drew said he spoke to Ms Zwerner and one of her biggest concerns was for her pupils.

After the shooting, the boy was physically restrained by a school employee and he struck the worker before being taken away in a police car, Mr Drew said.

Mr Drew initially said the boy pulled the gun from his backpack just before the shooting, but then later clarified the boy had “the gun on his person” immediately before he fired the shot.

A candlelit vigil in Ms Zwerner’s honour is planned for Monday at 6.30pm local time.

Headteacher Briana Foster Newton said the school will be closed for the week.

Police have declined to say what led to the altercation, citing their ongoing investigation.

Virginia law does not allow six-year-olds to be tried as adults, nor is a six-year-old old enough to be committed to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice if found guilty.

Authorities have not specified where the boy is being held.

On Monday morning, several parents, grandparents and community members gathered with a local pastor on grass outside the school.

Among them was Eric Billet, who said his three children in the Newport News school system, two of whom go to Richneck, have reacted differently to the shooting.

Mr Billet’s son, who is in middle school, for those aged around 11 to 13, has raised concerns about security, telling his father he feels safer at theme parks, which he argued have better security than schools.

His year three son is doing better and fist-bumped a police officer on his way out of school on Friday, Mr Billet said.

His daughter, a year five pupil, has had nightmares every night, Mr Billet said.

But at the same time, he said, “she was also disappointed she couldn’t go to school this week”.