6-year-old boy who shot his teacher previously said he wanted to light her on fire and watch her die, report says

• The 6-year-old who shot his teacher reportedly told her he wanted to light her on fire and watch her die.
• The Washington Post obtained texts from school employees that revealed alarming details about the boy's behavior.

Virginia school officials are alleged to have downplayed concerns about the six-year-old boy that went on to shoot a teacher, including that he said he wanted to light her on fire and watch her die, The Washington Post reported.

Police said the child eventually shot teacher Abigail Zwerner earlier this month as she taught her first-grade class at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News.

Authorities have said that the shooting was "intentional" and "not accidental" but have not provided further information.

The Post obtained a message written by a Richneck teacher through the local teachers union that reveals alarming details about the boy's alleged behavior.

The account claims that the boy wrote a note to Zwerner which said that he hated her and wanted to light her on fire and watch her die. When she reported the note to Richneck administrators, Zwerner was told to drop the matter, the account claims.

On one occasion, the boy threw furniture and other items around in class, which led to the other children hiding under their desks, per the account.

The account also claims that in another incident, the boy barricaded the doors to a classroom and prevented a teacher and students from leaving.

The boy's family said that he had "an acute disability" and that one of his parents often went with him to class but did not do so the week of the shooting.

The teacher also alleged in her account that the boy was not receiving the educational services that he needed at the school.

The teacher declined to speak to the Post directly or reveal her identity publicly out of fear of retaliation.

The outlet also obtained text messages between school employees and Newport News Superintendent George Parker III following the shooting, which say that Zwerner had requested help to deal with the young student.

"She had asked for help," one staffer wrote about Zwerner, with another school official responding in agreement that she had done so "several times."

Other school officials responded by saying that she had requested help "two hours prior" as well as "all year."

The messages do not provide any further details about Zwerner's requests for assistance.

Since the shooting, other details have emerged suggesting that school officials might have fallen short in addressing concerns about the boy.

Superintendent Parker said that hours before the boy shot the teacher, a school administrator was told the child may have brought a gun to school. He said that workers at the school searched the boy's backpack but did not find the 9mm semi-automatic pistol legally-owned by his mother.

After the shooting, Zwerner was taken to the hospital, where her condition went from life-threatening condition to stable, according to The Washington Post. The bullet went through Zwerner's hand and into her upper chest, according to reports.

Richneck Elementary School did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.