Virginia ex-assistant principal faces trial in teacher shooting case

A former assistant principal in Virginia is facing felony child neglect charges after prosecutors say a 6-year-old student ignored warnings that he was carrying a loaded gun before shooting his teacher in 2023.

Jury selection in the trial of former Richneck Elementary School assistant principal Ebony Parker began Monday in Newport News. Parker, who has pleaded not guilty, faces eight felony child neglect charges in connection with the shooting of first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, according to the Associated Press.

Prosecutors alleged that several school employees warned Parker that the student might have a gun, but he failed to act before the shooting occurred.

Parker’s defense argued that he was unfairly blamed for wider failures before the shooting.

LAWYER SAYS VIRGINIA SCHOOL MISSED WARNINGS BEFORE SHOOTING 6-YEAR-OLD TEACHER

Prosecutors decided to count one for each of the eight bullets loaded into the gun. If convicted, Parker could face up to five years in prison on each charge, the AP reported.

The shooting took place on Jan. 6, 2023, when authorities said the 6-year-old student shot Zwerner while he was teaching a lesson.

He was hospitalized for nearly two weeks and underwent six surgeries after the bullet narrowly missed his heart. He still has limited use of his left hand, according to the AP.

TEACHER SHOT BY A 6-YEAR-OLD CHILD TOLD JURERS HE NEVER WITHDRAW HIS CHILD FROM CLASS AS DEFENSE EXPERTS CAME BACK TO OFFICIALS.

Former Richneck Elementary School teacher Abby Zwerner looks back in the courtroom during a civil lawsuit hearing on October 28, 2025 in Newport News, Virginia. (Stephen M. Katz/Virginian Pilot)

In November 2025, a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in damages in a civil lawsuit filed against Parker, alleging the former administrator ignored concerns that the student might have brought a gun to school.

Zwerner’s legal team told Fox News Digital at the time that the verdict was “a huge step forward on Abby’s long road to recovery.”

During the earlier civil suit, Parker’s attorneys argued that the shooting was “unforeseeable” and argued that he had no legal responsibility to protect Zwerner from the attack.

KENTUCKY TO CONSIDER LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HOLD PARENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHILDREN’S GUN CRIMES

Students return to Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, on January 30, 2023. (Billy Schuerman/Virginian Pilot)

Zwerner is expected to testify in the criminal case, AP reported.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

Authorities said the boy took the gun from his mother’s purse after climbing on the dresser. The student’s mother had previously been sentenced to nearly four years in prison.

Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and The Associated Press contributed to this report.