Trial begins for former Virginia assistant principal after 6-year-old student shot teacher

Jury selection began in Newport News, Virginia, for Ebony Parker, a former assistant principal accused of ignoring warnings that a 6-year-old brought a loaded gun to Richneck Elementary. Prosecutors say the gun was later used to shoot first grade teacher Abby Zwerner in January 2023. Parker faces eight felony child neglect counts, one for each bullet, with each count carrying up to five years in prison. The charges allege a willful act or omission showing gross, wanton, and culpable disregard for human life. Parker’s attorneys previously argued in a civil case that the shooting was unforeseeable and that the law requires examining decisions at the time they were made. A jury awarded Zwerner $10 million after finding Parker ignored repeated warnings. Zwerner was shot while seated at a reading table, spent nearly two weeks in the hospital, underwent six surgeries, and still has a bullet in her chest.

"Ebony Parker is charged with eight counts of felony child neglect, one for each of the bullets in the gun brought into Richneck Elementary schoolteacher Abby Zwerner 's classroom in Newport News in January 2023, prosecutors have said. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction."

"The charges allege Parker "did commit a willful act or omission in the care of such students, in a manner so gross, wanton and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life," according to court documents."

"But her attorneys in a civil trial last year argued that the shooting was "unforeseeable." They argued Parker did not have a legal duty to protect Zwerner and told the jury in that case that the "the law requires you to examine people's decisions at the time they make them.""

"Last November, a jury awarded $10 million to Zwerner, siding with her claims in a lawsuit that Parker ignored repeated warnings that the child had a gun. Zwerner was shot as she sat at a reading table in her classroom. She spent nearly two weeks in the hospital, required six surgeries and does not have the full use of her left hand. A bullet narrowly missed her heart and remains in her chest."

Read at ABC7 Los Angeles