Ebony Parker, a former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, is set to stand trial on Monday for felony child neglect charges. The charges stem from the January 2023 incident in which a six-year-old student brought a loaded gun to school and shot his first-grade teacher, Abby Zwerner.
Prosecutors have charged Parker with eight counts of felony child neglect, one for each bullet in the firearm. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Court documents allege that Parker committed a willful act or omission in the care of students, demonstrating a reckless disregard for human life.
The shooting occurred after several school staff members reportedly warned Parker that the student had a gun in his backpack. Despite these warnings, Parker allegedly failed to act. Zwerner was shot while sitting at a reading table and spent nearly two weeks in hospital, requiring six surgeries. A bullet remains lodged in her chest, and she has limited use of her left hand.
In a civil lawsuit, a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in November 2023, finding that Parker ignored repeated warnings. Parker was the sole defendant in that case, as a judge had dismissed the district's superintendent and school principal as defendants. Zwerner is scheduled to testify in the criminal trial.
The student's mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison after pleading guilty to felony child neglect and federal weapons charges. The boy told authorities he retrieved the gun from his mother's purse by climbing a dresser.
