Former School Administrator Faces Trial After Teacher Shot by Six-Year-Old

Clear Facts

• Former assistant principal Ebony Parker faces eight felony child neglect charges after a 6-year-old shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School in Virginia on January 6, 2023
• Prosecutors allege multiple school employees warned Parker the student might have a gun, but she failed to act before the shooting occurred
• Teacher Abby Zwerner was awarded $10 million in a civil lawsuit in November 2025 and still has limited use of her left hand after being hospitalized for nearly two weeks and undergoing six surgeries

A former Virginia assistant principal is standing trial on serious felony charges after prosecutors say she ignored multiple warnings about a dangerous situation that ended with a first-grade teacher being shot.

Jury selection began Monday in Newport News for the trial of Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School. Parker has pleaded not guilty to eight felony child neglect charges connected to the January 6, 2023 shooting of teacher Abby Zwerner.

According to prosecutors, several school employees warned Parker that a 6-year-old student might have brought a gun to school. Despite these warnings, Parker allegedly failed to take any action before the child shot Zwerner during class.

Parker’s defense team has argued she is being unfairly blamed for systemic failures that went far beyond her individual responsibilities. They maintain the shooting was “unforeseeable” and that Parker did not have a legal duty to protect Zwerner from the attack.

Prosecutors brought one count for each of the eight bullets that were loaded in the gun. If convicted on all counts, Parker could face up to five years in prison for each charge.

The shooting left lasting damage on Zwerner, who was hospitalized for nearly two weeks. The bullet narrowly missed her heart, but she underwent six surgeries and continues to have limited use of her left hand.

In November 2025, a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in a civil lawsuit against Parker. At the time, Zwerner’s legal team called the verdict a “major step forward in Abby’s long road of healing.”

Zwerner is expected to testify in the criminal trial.

Authorities determined the child obtained the gun from his mother’s purse after climbing onto a dresser at home. The student’s mother was previously sentenced to nearly four years in prison for her role in making the weapon accessible to the child.

The case raises serious questions about school safety protocols and the responsibility of administrators to act on credible warnings. The trial will determine whether Parker’s alleged inaction constitutes criminal neglect under Virginia law.

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