A Virginia schoolteacher who was shot by her six-year-old student has been awarded $10 million in damages after a jury ruled that the school’s former assistant principal acted with gross negligence.
Abigail Zwerner, a first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, suffered life-threatening injuries when the child opened fire in her classroom in January 2023. The bullet passed through her hand and into her chest, leaving her with lasting physical and emotional trauma.
Zwerner sued Ebony Parker, the assistant principal at the time, for $40 million, alleging that Parker ignored multiple warnings that the boy might have brought a gun to school that morning.
During the trial, the court heard that staff had alerted Ms. Parker at least 45 minutes before the shooting, but she failed to take any preventive action. The jury, made up of three men and four women, ruled in favor of Zwerner, finding Parker’s inaction amounted to reckless disregard for human life.
“The look on the student’s face is the large memory that I have,” Zwerner said tearfully while recounting the terrifying moment she was shot.
The lawsuit detailed several previous incidents involving the same student, including threats against other pupils and violent behavior in class. Despite repeated concerns, Parker allegedly dismissed warnings and refused to respond.
Parker’s attorney argued that she could not have foreseen the shooting and claimed Zwerner exaggerated her injuries.
The case has sparked nationwide debate on school safety, gun control, and accountability in U.S. education systems.
A criminal trial is set to follow, with Parker facing eight counts of felony child neglect, each carrying up to five years in prison.
The boy’s mother has already been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for child neglect and federal weapons charges. The child, who was not charged, remains under the care of a relative and is enrolled in another school.