Former Assistant Principal Faces Trial Over 6-Year-Old's Shooting of Teacher
Ebony Parker, ex-assistant principal at Richneck Elementary, stands trial for alleged neglect leading to a 6-year-old student shooting his teacher in 2023.
Jury selection commenced Monday in Newport News, Virginia, for the trial of Ebony Parker, former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School. Parker faces eight counts of felony child neglect following a January 2023 incident where a 6-year-old student brought a loaded gun to school and shot his first-grade teacher, Abby Zwerner.
Each charge corresponds to one of the eight bullets in the firearm, with each count carrying a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Prosecutors allege Parker ignored multiple warnings from staff that the child had a gun, demonstrating "reckless disregard for human life."
In November 2025, a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in a civil lawsuit, finding Parker liable for gross negligence. Zwerner suffered severe injuries, including six surgeries and partial loss of hand function, after being shot in the hand and chest.
Parker's defense previously argued that the shooting was unforeseeable and that she had no legal duty to protect Zwerner. The trial is expected to last three days, with Zwerner scheduled to testify.