Jury selection began on Monday in the trial of Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal of Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. Parker is accused of ignoring multiple warning signs before a 6-year-old student shot teacher Abigail Zwerner in January 2023.
Charges and Plea
Parker faces eight counts of child abuse and neglect, each punishable by up to five years in prison. The charges correspond to each bullet in the gun the student wielded. She has pleaded not guilty, and the trial is expected to last three days.
Allegations of Negligence
Court documents allege that Parker committed a willful act or omission in the care of students, showing a reckless disregard for human life. According to a grand jury report, Parker ignored warnings from school employees before the shooting. Zwerner had told Parker the boy was in a violent mood, had threatened to beat up a kindergartener, and stared down a security officer. Parker allegedly had no response.
When concerns were raised that the child may have transferred the gun from his backpack to his pocket, Parker said his pockets were too small to hold a handgun and did nothing. A guidance counselor was also forbidden from searching the boy, as Parker stated his mother would arrive soon.
The Shooting and Aftermath
On January 6, 2023, the first grader brought his mother's handgun to school concealed in his backpack. He shot Zwerner in the hand and chest while she sat at a reading table. Zwerner was hospitalized for nearly two weeks, required six surgeries, and still does not have full use of her left hand. A bullet remains in her chest. She testified that she thought she had died and gone to heaven.
Zwerner was awarded $10 million in a civil gross negligence trial against Parker in November 2023. She is expected to testify in the criminal case.
Other Legal Outcomes
The boy's mother, Deja Taylor, pleaded guilty to felony child neglect and was sentenced to two years in prison in 2023. Criminal charges were not filed against the student.
