From Classroom to Courtroom: A Teacher’s Journey After Being Shot by a 6-Year-Old Student

In a poignant testimony that captivated the courtroom, Abigail Zwerner, a former first-grade teacher from Virginia, recounted the life-changing moment when she was shot by her 6-year-old student at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. “I thought I was dying,” Zwerner softly told jurors during the second day of her $40 million lawsuit against former school vice principal Ebony Parker. The shooting, which occurred on January 6, 2023, left the then-25-year-old teacher with serious injuries to her hand and chest. Zwerner vividly described the moment: “The last thing I remember at the school — I thought I died. I thought I was either on my way to heaven or in heaven.” Then, she recalled, “it all got black.” When she regained awareness, two colleagues were standing over her, applying pressure to her wounds. One of the most haunting aspects of her testimony was her description of the young shooter’s expression – “a blank look but it wasn’t a blank look at all on his face,” a memory that seems permanently etched in her mind.

The physical and emotional aftermath of the shooting has profoundly altered Zwerner’s life. After multiple surgeries, including one as recent as April, she still struggles with basic tasks using her left hand. Simple actions most take for granted – opening a bag of chips or unscrewing a bottle cap – now require assistance. “Overall, I would say I do struggle with doing things,” she admitted to the court. Beyond the physical limitations, the psychological impact has been equally devastating. According to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Clarence Watson, who testified that Zwerner suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, she experiences difficulty breathing, panic attacks, and persistent fears that someone might be following her to “finish the job.” The trauma has created an emotional distance in her relationships, leaving her with “a little numbness” even with loved ones. Her anxiety has become so pronounced that she canceled plans to see the movie “Hamilton” with family members because she remembered it contained a scene depicting a gun duel – a trigger too close to her own traumatic experience.

At the heart of Zwerner’s lawsuit is the claim that former vice principal Ebony Parker displayed gross negligence by ignoring multiple warnings about the boy on the day of the shooting. According to testimony, several staff members had alerted Parker that the student might have a gun and was behaving aggressively. Zwerner explained that another teacher, Amy Kovac, had already informed Parker about these concerns, which is why Zwerner herself didn’t approach the administrator directly. During cross-examination, Zwerner acknowledged her uncertainty throughout that day about whether the weapon was real or a toy, saying, “The whole day, I was contemplating, it could be real but it also could not.” Witnesses testified that Parker refused to search the boy despite being told by two students that he had a gun, instead stating that his mother would soon arrive to pick him up.

The trauma’s persistence is compounded by physical reminders of the shooting. Doctors were unable to safely remove a fragment of the bullet that remains lodged in Zwerner’s chest – a permanent physical reminder of the incident. Dr. Watson testified that Zwerner’s recovery is particularly challenging because of these physical scars that constantly remind her of the trauma. He explained that she suffers from nightmares and has experienced suicidal thoughts, adding that her trauma will likely require long-term psychological treatment and medication for anxiety and depression. The professional impact has been equally significant – Zwerner resigned from her teaching position and has not been employed full-time since the shooting, effectively ending a career that had barely begun, having taught for only two and a half years before the incident.

The legal consequences of this tragedy extend beyond Zwerner’s civil lawsuit. The boy’s mother, Deja Taylor, was sentenced to two years in prison for child neglect in 2023, while Parker faces an upcoming criminal trial on the same charge. Zwerner’s legal team was expected to rest their case the same day she provided her testimony, marking a significant step in her pursuit of justice. The $40 million lawsuit represents not just compensation for her injuries and ongoing suffering but also stands as a statement about school safety and administrative responsibility in protecting both students and teachers from preventable harm.

This case has drawn national attention, highlighting critical questions about school safety protocols, administrative accountability, and the proper handling of warning signs that precede violence in educational settings. For Zwerner, whose young teaching career was violently disrupted and whose life has been permanently altered, the courtroom represents one step in a much longer journey toward healing and closure. As she continues to navigate life with both visible and invisible scars, her testimony serves as a stark reminder of the lasting impact that a single moment of violence can have on a person’s physical health, emotional well-being, and life trajectory. The bullet fragment that remains in her chest is perhaps the most literal symbol of how the events of that January day continue to be carried with her, a permanent physical reminder of trauma that changed everything in an instant.