NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Abby Zwerner, a former teacher, recounted a harrowing moment during her testimony in a $40 million lawsuit related to a school shooting that occurred in January 2023. Zwerner described the traumatic experience of being shot by her six-year-old student in her classroom, a moment she feared would be her last.
Reflecting on that day, Zwerner recalled, “I thought I was dying. It felt like I was either on my way to heaven or already there, but then everything went black.” Zwerner sustained serious injuries, with a bullet piercing her hand and chest, which still remains lodged inside her.
On the fourth day of the trial against the Newport News School Division and former assistant principal Ebony Parker, Zwerner and her legal team argued that negligence allowed the situation to escalate. They allege that Parker neglected to act despite warnings from staff about the possibility of the child possessing a weapon earlier that day. The school district’s superintendent and the principal were previously dismissed from the lawsuit, leaving only Parker to defend herself.
Parker’s defense counters that the incident was unforeseen and unavoidable. Meanwhile, Parker faces her own criminal trial, facing charges of felony child neglect, which could carry a sentence of up to five years if she’s found guilty.
Zwerner’s plight touches upon other tragic elements of the case, including the sentencing of the student’s mother, who received nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges related to the incident. Reports indicated that the boy accessed his mother’s handgun from inside her purse.
While the boy has not faced any charges, legal documents reveal he had a history of behavioral issues. Zwerner vividly remembered the expression on the child’s face during the shooting, stating it was a blank yet telling look. When questioned if that moment led her to raise her hand in anticipation, she confirmed, “Yes.”
In the aftermath of the shooting, Zwerner endured significant medical challenges, including a collapsed lung and multiple surgeries on her injured hand. Despite her progress, she still lacks full mobility and strength in her left hand, which her treating physician demonstrated in court. The bullet lodged in her chest is deemed too risky to remove.
As the proceedings unfolded, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Clarence Watson provided insight into Zwerner’s mental health struggles post-shooting, diagnosing her with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. He recounted her experiences of hallucinations and suicidal thoughts, stemming from the trauma.
Describing the chaotic scene following the shooting, former law enforcement personnel testified about the delayed entry into the school, emphasizing their shock at the young age of the suspected shooter. Testimonies included accounts of witnesses who were in the building that day, including a colleague who recounted the distinct moment they heard the gunfire and the frantic atmosphere that followed.
The trial, which initiated earlier this week, is expected to conclude shortly, with testimonies continuing to highlight the circumstances that led to that fateful day in January 2023. Any potential judgment against Parker would likely be covered by the Virginia Risk Sharing Association, offering a glimpse into the accountability that may stem from this tragic event.