In brief
In January 2023, Abby Zwerner was shot by a 6-year-old student at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. Following the incident, she sued former assistant principal Ebony Parker, who was accused of ignoring urgent warnings about the child's access to a firearm. A jury recently ruled in favor of Zwerner, awarding her $10 million, while Parker faces separate criminal charges for felony child neglect. The shooting incident has prompted a national dialogue on child access to firearms.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — A jury in Virginia has awarded $10 million to Abby Zwerner, a former teacher who was shot by a 6-year-old student, in a high-profile case that has raised concerns about school safety and administrative negligence.
The jury’s decision was made against Ebony Parker, a former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School where the shooting occurred. Zwerner was shot in January 2023 while at a reading table, and she had sought $40 million in damages.
After spending nearly two weeks in the hospital and undergoing six surgeries, Zwerner continues to deal with the aftermath of her injuries, which included a bullet narrowly missing her heart and remaining in her chest. Parker was the only defendant in this lawsuit after a judge dismissed the school district’s superintendent and principal as defendants.
The shooting shocked the community and ignited a broader discussion about how a child could gain access to a gun in a school setting. During the trial, Zwerner’s attorney emphasized that Parker had a duty to protect students and staff and failed to heed warnings from several staff members about the student’s firearm.
Parker did not testify during the trial, with her attorney arguing against the idea that the incident was foreseeable, suggesting that judging the situation retrospectively is fundamentally unfair.
Zwerner, who testified about her harrowing experience, expressed that during her moment of crisis, she thought she had died. Following the incident, she has shifted her career and is now a licensed cosmetologist.
Parker is facing additional legal troubles, with a separate criminal trial this month on multiple felony child neglect charges, which could lead to significant prison time if convicted. Meanwhile, the mother of the student was sentenced to nearly four years for child neglect and federal weapons charges, after the child disclosed he obtained the gun from her belongings.
This case underscores the urgent need for heightened school safety protocols and awareness of the potential dangers posed by firearms in households with children.
