Former Richneck Elementary School assistant principal Ebony Parker is on trial in Newport News, Virginia, in a criminal case tied to the January 6, 2023 shooting of first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner. Prosecutors allege Parker failed to act after multiple warnings that a 6-year-old student had a gun at school. Parker has pleaded not guilty.

The Shooting at Richneck Elementary

On January 6, 2023, a 6-year-old student brought a handgun to Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. The child later shot his first-grade teacher, Abby Zwerner, in her classroom. Zwerner was struck in the hand and chest, survived, and suffered serious lasting injuries.

According to reporting on the case, Zwerner managed to get her students to safety after the shooting. She later required multiple surgeries and has had lasting damage to her left hand.

The child was not criminally charged. Prosecutors have said the boy had “extreme emotional issues.” The child’s mother, Deja Taylor, was separately convicted in connection with child neglect and firearms offenses.

The Allegations Against Ebony Parker

Ebony Parker was the assistant principal at Richneck Elementary at the time of the shooting. Prosecutors allege that school staff warned Parker multiple times on the day of the shooting that the child may have had a gun. The state’s theory is that Parker failed to take necessary action after those warnings.

Parker is charged with eight felony child neglect counts. Prosecutors have said the eight counts correspond to the eight bullets in the gun brought to school. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison if Parker is convicted.

According to court documents quoted in reporting, the charges allege Parker committed a willful act or omission in the care of students “in a manner so gross, wanton and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life.”

Civil Case Before the Criminal Trial

Before the criminal trial, Zwerner brought a civil lawsuit against Parker. Zwerner alleged Parker ignored warnings that the child had a gun and failed to protect her and the students at Richneck Elementary.

In November 2025, a Virginia jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in damages against Parker. Zwerner had sought $40 million. The civil verdict did not decide the criminal charges, but it became a major part of the broader public record surrounding the shooting and Parker’s alleged response.

The Criminal Trial

Parker’s criminal trial began with jury selection on Monday, May 18, 2026, in Newport News. Opening statements and testimony began the next day.

The prosecution’s case is that the danger was specific, urgent, and required immediate action. Prosecutors allege Parker was told a young student may have had a gun and did not call police, search the child, tell the principal, or otherwise remove the threat before the shooting.

The defense position is that the shooting was not foreseeable in the legal sense and that Parker’s conduct did not amount to criminal child neglect. Parker’s attorney has argued that others also had the ability to act and that Parker is not criminally responsible for what happened.

Why This Case Matters

This case is unusual because it places criminal responsibility directly on a former school administrator after a school shooting carried out by a very young child. The central issue is not whether the shooting happened, but whether Parker’s alleged failure to act after warnings meets Virginia’s criminal standard for felony child neglect.

The jury will have to decide whether the evidence proves Parker’s alleged omissions were gross, wanton, and culpable, and whether they showed reckless disregard for human life.