Teacher Shot by 6-Year-Old Wins $10M After School Ignored Her Warnings
ABIGAIL ZWERNER was shot by a 6 year old after she coomplained to the school repeatedly.
By SyndicatedNews | SNN.BZ
Newport News, Virginia In a landmark decision that underscores the critical need for schools to heed teachers’ pleas for intervention, a Virginia jury awarded $10 million to Abigail “Abby” Zwerner, the former first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School who was shot and nearly killed by one of her own 6-year-old students in January 2023.
The civil trial, which concluded after six days of testimony and over five hours of deliberations, centered on allegations of gross negligence by the school’s then-assistant principal, Ebony Parker, who Zwerner claims dismissed multiple warnings about the boy’s escalating threats and violent behavior in the months leading up to the shooting.
Zwerner, now 28, has endured a harrowing journey of physical and emotional recovery since the incident that left her with a bullet lodged in her chest and hand, requiring multiple surgeries and ongoing therapy. Testifying with raw emotion during the trial, she recounted the terror of the moment: “I thought I was dying… I thought I had died. I was either on my way to heaven or already there.”
Despite her severe injuries, Zwerner heroically shielded her students, ushering them to safety before collapsing. The jury’s verdict, far short of the $40 million she sought but a resounding validation of her claims, holds Parker personally liable and could set a precedent for accountability in school safety failures.
The nightmare began months before the shooting, as Zwerner documented a pattern of alarming behavior from the unnamed 6-year-old boy in her class. Described by colleagues as a bright but troubled child, he exhibited aggression far beyond his years—hurling objects at classmates, making explicit threats like “I’m going to shoot you” or “I’m going to kill you,” and even attempting to choke other students.
Witnesses testified that the boy spoke with the chilling bravado of a “grown criminal,” using profanity and intimidation tactics that stunned educators accustomed to typical childhood mischief.
Fearing for her safety and that of her 18 other students, Zwerner repeatedly raised the red flags with school leadership. In the weeks prior to January 6, 2023, she formally requested mediation through the administration to address the boy’s unchecked violence, emphasizing in emails and meetings that his threats were not idle—they were specific and escalating.
“I was fearful he would hurt me or the other classmates,” Zwerner told the court, her voice breaking as she recalled pleading for help. She reported incidents directly to Principal LaToya Bryant and Assistant Principal Ebony Parker, including a particularly violent episode where the boy assaulted a fellow student. Yet, her cries went unheeded.
Parker, according to trial evidence, downplayed the concerns, failing to initiate a safety protocol or even search the boy’s backpack despite school guidelines mandating action on credible threats.
On the day of the shooting, the warnings intensified. A school counselor alerted Parker that students had seen the boy reaching into his backpack as if concealing something suspicious—later revealed to be his mother’s .380-caliber handgun, hidden in his clothing. Zwerner herself was informed by a reading specialist just before recess and urged the office to act immediately. For over an hour, as the boy sat fidgeting in class, no sweep was conducted, no child was removed for questioning, and no parents were notified.
“Parker had a duty to protect everyone on campus,” Zwerner’s attorney, Kevin Biniazan, argued in closing. “She stuck her head in the sand when it was her job to investigate.” The defense countered that no one could foresee a child so young committing such an act, but the jury disagreed, finding Parker’s inaction “grossly negligent.” The shooting unfolded in a matter of seconds during a routine reading lesson.
From less than six feet away, the boy pointed the loaded gun at Zwerner and fired once, the bullet tearing through her hand and embedding in her lung. Chaos erupted as blood pooled on the classroom floor, but Zwerner’s quick thinking saved lives— she barricaded the door and evacuated her students to the hallway.
The boy, who admitted to the act but faced no criminal charges due to his age, was expelled, and his mother later pleaded guilty to federal gun charges for allowing the weapon to be accessible. Parker’s response that day—and her alleged cover-up in the aftermath—drew sharp scrutiny. Text messages and emails presented in court showed her prioritizing optics over safety, even as Zwerner lay fighting for her life in the hospital.
Parker, who did not testify, was fired by Newport News Public Schools shortly after the incident and now faces a separate criminal charge of felony child neglect, with her trial slated for late November. Ironically, Zwerner has expressed hope for Parker’s acquittal in that case, noting it could jeopardize the insurance payout covering the civil award through the Virginia Risk Sharing Association.For Zwerner, the verdict marks a bittersweet milestone.
“This could have been prevented,” her attorney Diane Toscano said outside the courthouse, where Zwerner embraced her mother and sister amid tears of relief. Though the $10 million—plus interest from June 2024—cannot erase the trauma, it affirms that teachers’ voices must be amplified, not ignored.
Zwerner, who left teaching amid PTSD and chronic pain, hopes her story sparks systemic change. “Schools need to listen when we say a child is dangerous,” she stated post-verdict. “No educator should ever feel this alone.”
As the nation grapples with rising school violence, the Richneck tragedy serves as a stark reminder: unchecked threats from even the youngest students can turn deadly, and administrative indifference bears a heavy cost.
