Former Assistant Principal Ebony Parker on Trial for 2023 Shooting Neglect

A former assistant principal is facing a criminal trial Monday in Newport News, Virginia, for her alleged role in a 2023 school shooting where a six-year-old student shot his teacher. Ebony Parker is charged with eight counts of felony child neglect stemming from the January 6, 2023, incident at Richneck Elementary School, where first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner was shot in the chest and hand.

Prosecutors allege Parker ignored multiple warnings from staff and students that the boy had a gun in his backpack on the day of the shooting. According to court documents, the charges state Parker committed a willful act or omission in the care of students in a manner showing a reckless disregard for human life. Each count is a class 6 felony punishable by up to five years in prison, meaning Parker could face up to 40 years if convicted.

The trial, expected to last three days, follows a civil case last November in which a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million, finding Parker liable for ignoring warnings about the weapon. Zwerner is scheduled to testify in the criminal trial. In the civil proceedings, she described the moment of the shooting, saying she thought she was going to die and cannot...