The trial of a former elementary school assistant principal began Monday in Virginia, with the ex-administrator accused of disregarding warnings in 2023 about a 6-year-old having a gun on campus that he later fired at a teacher.
Ebony Parker faces eight counts of felony child neglect, one for each bullet in the boy’s gun, in the shooting at Richneck Elementary in Newport News that left first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner with gunshot wounds to her chest and hand.
Ms. Zwerner survived the shooting, and Ms. Parker resigned two weeks after the January 2023 incident that stunned the nation.
The boy told investigators he climbed atop a dresser and took the gun out of his mother’s purse. The mother, Deja Taylor, was sentenced to nearly four years in prison on child neglect and federal gun charges in the case.
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The outcome of Ms. Zwerner’s civil trial last year may offer some insight about how Ms. Parker’s criminal trial will proceed.
Two teachers testified at the civil trial that students had alerted them about the boy having a gun in his backpack. Ms. Zwerner’s legal team said one of the students told a teacher about the weapon after witnessing the boy pull the gun out of his bag on the playground.
When the teachers shared that information with Ms. Parker, the administrator told them not to check the boy’s personal belongings.
Police said the boy took aim at Ms. Zwerner around 2 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2023, and fired a single bullet that went through her hand and lodged in her chest.
The wounded teacher helped evacuate her students from the class and later passed out in the school office from her injuries, according to court documents.
Ms. Zwerner’s attorneys argued that Ms. Parker ignored school guidelines to look into the potential threat when teachers brought it to her attention.
But Ms. Parker’s attorneys said she “did not have a legal duty to protect Miss Zwerner” and did not volunteer to protect her either.
A jury sided with Ms. Zwerner and awarded her $10 million in damages.
In the criminal trial, court documents allege that Ms. Parker “did commit a willful act or omission in the care of such students, in a manner so gross, wanton and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life.”
The trial is expected to last three days. Ms. Parker faces up to 40 years behind bars if convicted.
