Shocking bodycam footage captured the distressing aftermath of a teacher being shot by one of her young students.
Abby Zwerner was left bloodied after her six-year-old student shot her hand, chest, and punctured one of her lungs. Despite her injuries, Zwerner managed to evacuate the other children from her class before collapsing. The incident unfolded at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, in January 2023. Zwerner endured multiple surgeries and a lengthy hospital stay to survive the ordeal.
The bullet that struck Zwerner remains lodged in her chest, causing her to lose function in her left hand and leading to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. She has since left her teaching position and expressed no intention of returning to the profession.
Zwerner filed a lawsuit alleging that Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal, neglected to take action despite prior warnings from staff regarding the student possibly carrying a weapon on the fateful day.
In court, footage of the aftermath was presented as part of Zwerner’s lawsuit seeking damages for the lasting physical and emotional harm caused by the shooting. Attorney Diane Toscano argued that Parker’s decisions on the day were flawed and led to the tragic outcome.
Parker’s defense contended that the unforeseeable nature of a first-grade student bringing a firearm to school absolved her of responsibility. The judge dismissed claims against the school’s principal and district superintendent in relation to the incident.
The student’s mother, Deja Taylor, received a nearly four-year prison sentence for child neglect and weapons charges. Her son, who moved to a different school under his great-grandfather’s care, admitted to accessing her handgun from her purse atop a dresser in their home. Taylor initially claimed the gun was secured with a trigger lock, but investigators found no evidence of one.
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