Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old says boy showed ‘violent’ warning signs – assistant principal now on trial

Former Virginia teacher Abby Zwerner testified Tuesday that the 6-year-old pupil who changeable her wrong a first-grade schoolroom had been acting "defiant" and displaying troubling behaviour successful the days and hours starring up to the attack.

"I saw this pupil looking astatine me," she testified. "I looked over, the weapon was pointed close astatine me, and past I was shot."

Zwerner took the basal successful Newport News during the transgression proceedings of erstwhile Richneck Elementary School adjunct main Ebony Parker, who faces 8 felony kid neglect charges tied to the Jan. 6, 2023, shooting. Parker has pleaded not guilty.

During affectional testimony, Zwerner described a bid of informing signs involving the student, identified successful tribunal arsenic "JT," earlier helium pulled retired a handgun and changeable her portion classmates sat nearby.

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Abigail Zwerner, the teacher changeable by a 6-year-old pupil successful January 2023, was the archetypal witnesser Tuesday, May 19 successful the proceedings of Ebony Parker successful Newport News, Virginia. (WAVY)

She told jurors the pupil had already displayed assertive behaviour earlier that week, including an incidental successful which helium grabbed and smashed her cellphone during reading-group time.

Zwerner testified the kid appeared "very defiant" earlier breaking the telephone and had what she described arsenic a "challenging face."

The pupil was absent the pursuing time but returned to schoolhouse connected Jan. 6, the time of the shooting.

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Former Richneck Elementary School adjunct main Ebony Parker looks backmost successful the courtroom during Abby Zwerner's suit successful Newport News, Va., connected Oct. 28, 2025. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot via AP, Pool)

Zwerner testified that passim the greeting she became progressively acrophobic astir his behavior. She said the kid seemed "off already that day" and appeared "violent."

At lunch, Zwerner testified she observed the pupil staring intensely astatine her and a information serviceman successful the cafeteria, which she said stood retired to her arsenic antithetic behavior.

"I witnessed the pupil staring her down, precise focused connected her," Zwerner testified.

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She besides told jurors she aboriginal saw the kid extracurricular astatine recess wearing an oversized overgarment with some hands kept wrong his pockets the full time.

Abigail Zwerner smiles with her parent Julie arsenic her lawyers talk to members of the property aft a verdict was reached successful her suit against the adjunct principal, Ebony Parker, of Richneck Elementary School during proceedings astatine Newport News Circuit Court successful Newport News, Virginia, connected Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Prosecutors repeatedly questioned Zwerner astir whether she relayed concerns to schoolhouse administrators, including Parker.

Much of Tuesday’s grounds centered connected what accusation Zwerner shared with medication earlier the shooting.

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At respective points, defence attorneys objected connected hearsay grounds arsenic prosecutors attempted to present grounds astir reports that the pupil whitethorn person had a gun.

The justice allowed overmuch of the testimony, ruling the statements were not being offered to beryllium the kid had a firearm, but alternatively to found what schoolhouse officials had been told and what they knew earlier the shooting occurred.

Teacher Abby Zwerner holds a motion and smiles successful beforehand of a doorway covered with get good soon messages astatine Richneck Elementary School successful Newport News, Va., connected Jan. 6, 2023, aft she was changeable by a 6-year-old student. (John C. Clark/AP Photo)

Prosecutors allege Parker ignored repeated warnings from unit members that the pupil could beryllium equipped and failed to instrumentality enactment to support students and employees.

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Defense attorneys, meanwhile, sought to displacement work during cross-examination by questioning wherefore Zwerner herself did not region the kid from the schoolroom oregon telephone constabulary aft becoming acrophobic helium whitethorn person had a gun.

Attorney James Ellenson repeatedly pressed Zwerner connected whether she personally separated the pupil from classmates oregon prevented him from returning to the schoolroom aft recess.

"You allowed him to instrumentality to your schoolroom with different students, is that correct?" Ellenson asked.

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"Yes," Zwerner responded.

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Former Richneck Elementary School teacher Abby Zwerner looks backmost successful the courtroom during her civilian suit proceedings successful Newport News, Va., connected Oct. 28, 2025. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot via AP, Pool)

Ellenson besides asked whether the "first work to support the students successful the classroom" belonged to her arsenic the teacher. Zwerner agreed.

When pressed astir what actions she personally took to support students, Zwerner answered: "I trusted my colleagues."

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Students instrumentality to Richneck Elementary School successful Newport News, Va., connected Jan. 30, 2023. Prosecutors said a transgression probe into unit members astatine the schoolhouse volition proceed aft a erstwhile adjunct main was charged with felony kid neglect. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot via AP, File)

Zwerner aboriginal recounted the infinitesimal the shooting happened.

She testified she was starring a small-group acquisition erstwhile she saw the kid constituent a weapon straight astatine her.

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The slug traveled done her near manus and into her chest, she said.

Zwerner testified respective students were adjacent astatine the clip of the shooting, including children sitting adjacent to the student.

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After being shot, she said her contiguous interest was getting students safely retired of the classroom.

"I hoped the children were getting retired of the classroom," she said.

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Ebony Parker was released connected enslaved successful Newport News, Va., connected April 10, 2024. She is the erstwhile adjunct main of an simple schoolhouse successful Newport News. (Newport News Police Department)

Prosecutors brought 1 felony number for each of the 8 bullets loaded successful the gun. If convicted, Parker could look up to 5 years successful situation connected each count.

The charges allege Parker "did perpetrate a willful enactment oregon omission successful the attraction of specified students, successful a mode truthful gross, wanton and culpable arsenic to amusement a reckless disregard for quality life," according to tribunal documents.