Virginia judge dismisses charges against assistant principal in teacher shooting case

A Virginia judge on Thursday dismissed charges against an elementary school assistant principal who was accused of failing to act on warnings that a six-year-old student had brought a gun to school, an incident that led to the wounding of a teacher in 2023.

Newport News circuit court Judge Rebecca Robinson abruptly threw out the eight-count indictment against Richneck Elementary Assistant Principal Ebony Parker, ruling that Parker’s actions did not constitute a crime under Virginia law.

Parker had been charged with eight counts of child neglect and reckless conduct after prosecutors alleged she ignored multiple warnings that the student had a firearm in his backpack, which he later used to shoot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner inside her classroom.

Prosecutors said several school employees told Parker they believed the child had a gun in his backpack, but Parker responded that the child’s mother would soon pick him up for the day.

The dismissal came one day after prosecutors rested their case, ending efforts to hold Parker criminally accountable for the January 2023 shooting.

Earlier in the trial, a juror had asked for clarification about testimony and referred to the jury collectively as “we,” raising concerns that jurors may have discussed the case before deliberations.

Judge Robinson said she made her decision after listening to evidence over the past several days.

Outside the courthouse, Parker’s mother told the Daily Press that the ruling was “by the grace of God,” adding: “It’s been a long, long haul, for not a good reason.”

“She’s a really great educator. A great teacher. A great person to advocate for the kids. That’s what breaks my heart, because these kids need every help they can get,” Parker’s mother said.

Curtis Rogers, an attorney for Parker, said while his client may have “made a mistake” and had a “lapse in judgment,” she did not commit a crime.

In November 2024, a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in damages after concluding that Parker had ignored warnings that a 9mm handgun was on school property and likely in the possession of the boy who shot her.

The boy removed the gun from his backpack in the classroom and fired a single bullet at Zwerner, striking her in the hand and chest. Zwerner underwent five hand surgeries and still has a bullet lodged in her chest.

Zwerner was seated at a table during a first-grade reading class when the student drew a handgun from his front hoodie pocket and fired. The gun then jammed, with six bullets remaining in the magazine.

During the civil trial, jurors heard that three first-grade students reported the boy had a weapon: two girls said it was in his bag, and a third student reportedly told a teacher that the boy showed him a gun during break.

In 2023, Deja Taylor, the boy’s mother, was sentenced to two years in prison for felony child neglect; a judge chastised her for abdicating her parental responsibilities.

The criminal case against Parker was dismissed after her attorneys placed blame on Zwerner, claiming she had witnessed the child’s movements long before the shooting and failed to intervene.

Zwerner testified that the six-year-old had slammed her phone to the ground days earlier and was in a “violent” mood the day of the shooting. She also said she had texted a reading specialist that day noting the student was wearing an oversized hoodie with his hands in his pockets.