Virginia Jury Awards $10 Million to Teacher Shot by 6-Year-Old Student
On November 6, 2025, a jury in Newport News, Virginia, awarded $10 million in damages to Abby Zwerner, a former first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School, in a civil lawsuit stemming from a traumatic shooting in January 2023. The verdict holds former assistant principal Ebony Parker accountable for gross negligence after she allegedly ignored multiple warnings that a 6-year-old student had brought a gun to school.
Key Details of the Case
- The Incident: On January 6, 2023, during a reading lesson, the 6-year-old boy pulled a .25-caliber handgun from his backpack and shot Zwerner in the chest and hand. She suffered severe injuries, including a collapsed lung, and has endured ongoing physical pain, emotional trauma, and PTSD. Zwerner testified that she believed she was dying as she lay on the classroom floor, with students screaming around her.
- Warnings Ignored: Zwerner’s lawsuit claimed Parker received at least four reports that morning about the boy’s concerning behavior and possible gun possession—including from Zwerner herself, who noted the child was in a “violent mood” and had threatened another student. School policy required immediate action, such as searching the backpack or removing the child, but Parker took none, according to trial testimony.
- Trial and Verdict: The civil trial, which sought $40 million, lasted about a week. After roughly 5.5 hours of deliberation, the seven-person jury (three men, four women) sided unanimously with Zwerner on Thursday, finding Parker’s inaction constituted “reckless disregard” for safety. Interest on the award begins June 1, 2024. Parker’s defense argued the event was “unforeseeable” and that safety is a shared responsibility, but jurors rejected this.
- Payment and Next Steps: The damages will likely come from the Newport News School Board’s insurance policy covering Parker. Post-trial motions are pending, and Parker faces a separate criminal trial in December 2025 on eight felony counts of child neglect (one per bullet in the gun).
Broader Implications
This ruling could set a precedent for holding school administrators liable in gun violence cases, emphasizing proactive responses to threats. Zwerner’s attorneys hailed it as validation that “this tragedy could have been prevented,” while highlighting her resilience—she graduated cosmetology school post-shooting but continues to struggle with public outings and daily life. The case underscores ongoing debates about school safety, gun access, and educator protections amid rising incidents of youth-involved shootings.