{"id":1540,"date":"2026-05-18T14:39:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:39:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/?p=1540"},"modified":"2026-05-18T14:39:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:39:40","slug":"ex-assistant-principal-faces-trial-after-six-year-old-shot-virginia-teacher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/?p=1540","title":{"rendered":"Ex-assistant principal faces trial after six-year-old shot Virginia teacher"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"057bbebc-e1ef-480d-95fc-de5e7db3c645\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"a woman looks over her shoulder while seated in court\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/a03a8d1dad13e1dfa04a50eff43f2f4d2118e873\/0_0_3600_2595\/master\/3600.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"335.1875\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">The former Richneck elementary school assistant principal, Ebony Parker, looks back into the courtroom during Abby Zwerner&#8217;s lawsuit against her on 28 October 2025, in Newport News, Virginia.<\/span> Photograph: Stephen M Katz\/Pool via The Virginian-Pilot\/AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"057bbebc-e1ef-480d-95fc-de5e7db3c645\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">The former Richneck elementary school assistant principal, Ebony Parker, looks back into the courtroom during Abby Zwerner&#8217;s lawsuit against her on 28 October 2025, in Newport News, Virginia.<\/span> Photograph: Stephen M Katz\/Pool via The Virginian-Pilot\/AP<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Ex-assistant principal faces trial after six-year-old shot Virginia teacher<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Ebony Parker is accused of ignoring warnings that the student brought a loaded gun to a US elementary school<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/2026\/feb\/17\/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB\" data-link-name=\"in standfirst link\">Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A former assistant principal at an elementary school in Virginia is due in court for trial on criminal charges of ignoring warnings that a six-year-old student brought a loaded gun to school which was later used to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/nov\/06\/virginia-school-teacher-shot-awarded-10m\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">shoot his first-grade teacher<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ebony Parker\u2019s criminal trial is set to start on Monday in Newport News.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Parker is charged with eight counts of felony child neglect, one for each of the eight bullets in the gun that was brought into the classroom of Abby Zwerner, a Richneck elementary school teacher, in January 2023, prosecutors have said. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The charges allege Parker \u201cdid 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\u201d, according to court documents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Criminal charges against school officials following a school shooting are quite rare, experts say. The shooting sent shock waves through this military shipbuilding community and the country at large, with many wondering how a child so young could gain access to a gun and shoot his teacher.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Last November, a jury awarded $10m to Zwerner, siding with her claims in a lawsuit that Parker, an ex-assistant principal, ignored repeated warnings that the child had a gun.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Parker was the only defendant in the lawsuit. A judge previously dismissed the district\u2019s superintendent and the school principal as defendants.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The lawsuit said Parker had a duty to protect Zwerner and others from harm after being told about the gun. Zwerner\u2019s attorneys said Parker failed to act in the hours before the shooting after several school staff members told her that the student had a gun in his backpack.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Zwerner testified she first heard about the gun prior to class recess from a reading specialist who had been tipped off by students. The shooting occurred a few hours later. Despite her injuries, Zwerner was able to hustle her students out of the classroom. She eventually passed out in the school office.<\/p>\n<figure data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.NewsletterSignupBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-ri3hap\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Zwerner is scheduled to testify in the criminal case, according to court records.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The student\u2019s mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2023\/aug\/15\/virginia-mother-pleads-guilty-six-year-old-shot-teacher-case\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">pleading guilty<\/a> to felony child neglect and federal weapons charges. Her son told authorities he climbed to the top of a dresser to retrieve the gun from his mother\u2019s purse.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-crime\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US crime<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/virginia\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Virginia<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/gun-crime\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Gun crime<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Ex-assistant%20principal%20faces%20trial%20after%20six-year-old%20shot%20Virginia%20teacher&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/18\/virginia-student-shooting-teacher?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F18%2Fvirginia-student-shooting-teacher&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/18\/virginia-student-shooting-teacher\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The former Richneck elementary school assistant principal, Ebony Parker, looks back into the courtroom during Abby Zwerner&#8217;s lawsuit<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1540","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1540"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1543,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1540\/revisions\/1543"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}