Near tragedy at Richneck Elementary School in Virginia, USA.

A six-year-old boy opened fire seriously wounding his teacher , a young woman in her 30s.

The shooting occurred at the elementary school in the coastal city of Newport News and "was not an accident," police said.

In fact, the child would have aimed and hit the teacher at the height of a dispute, now he is in custody . It was not clear how the boy got hold of the gun.

The 30-year-old was taken to the hospital, her condition is said to be improving but still serious: her life is in danger . The other pupils were immediately taken to safety in the school gymnasium, where they were reunited with their families.

"I'm shocked and disheartened," said city schools superintendent George Parker, " we need community support to make sure guns aren't available to young people ."

School shootings are a constant stateside, the latest tragedy in Uvalde, Texas , where an 18-year-old man killed 19 children and two teachers last May.

(Unioneonline/L)