Virginia ex-assistant principal faces trial in teacher shooting case

A former Virginia assistant principal is on trial for child neglect after prosecutors say she ignored warnings that a 6-year-old student had a loaded gun before the child shot his teacher in 2023.

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

Prosecutors say several school employees warned Parker that the student might have a gun, but she did not act before the shooting occurred, the outlet reported.

Parker’s defense argued she was unfairly blamed for broader failures that preceded the shooting.

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

Ebony Parker, former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School, looks on in the courtroom during the trial of Abby Zwerner in Newport News, Virginia, October 28, 2025. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian Pilot)

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

The shooting occurred on Jan. 6, 2023, when authorities said the 6-year-old student shot Zwerner while she was teaching.

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

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

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

In a statement to Fox News Digital at the time, Zwerner’s legal team said the verdict marked a “major step forward in Abby’s long road to recovery.”

During the previous civil trial, Parker’s lawyers argued the shooting was “unforeseeable” and argued she did not have a legal responsibility to protect Zwerner from the attack.

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

Zwerner is expected to testify at the criminal trial, AP reported.

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Authorities said the child retrieved the gun from his mother’s purse after climbing onto a dresser. The student’s mother had already been sentenced to almost four years in prison.

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