Jury awards $10 million to teacher shot by 6-year-old student

 

A Virginia jury has awarded $10 million to Abby Zwerner, the former elementary school teacher who was shot by her 6-year-old student in 2023.

The verdict—reached after roughly five and a half hours of deliberation—concludes a civil trial focused on whether school officials failed in their duty to prevent the tragedy.

Zwerner, who taught at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, sued former assistant principal Ebony Parker, accusing her of ignoring multiple warnings that the student had brought a gun to school on the day of the shooting in January 2023. Zwerner was shot in the chest and hand while seated at a reading table in her classroom.

Her lawyers argued that Parker’s fundamental responsibility was to ensure school safety, especially after receiving reports of a possible firearm on campus.

“A gun changes everything. You stop and you investigate,” attorney Kevin Biniazan said. “You get to the bottom of that backpack. You get to the bottom of his pockets… to know whether that gun is real and on campus.”

Parker’s defense countered that no one could have reasonably predicted that a child so young would bring a weapon to school or carry out a shooting. They also highlighted that Zwerner had not personally reported concerns to Parker, arguing that school safety is a shared responsibility among all administrators.

Legal analysts say the case could set an important precedent for determining liability when children access firearms and commit school shootings—a growing problem in the United States.

As of last week, there have been 64 school shootings nationwide this year, including 27 on K–12 campuses.

The civil verdict may also influence the upcoming criminal trial, where Parker faces eight counts of felony child neglect.

Zwerner delivered emotional testimony about the long-term toll of the incident.

“I thought I was dying. I thought I had died,” she said tearfully. “I thought I was either on my way to heaven or in heaven.”

She described ongoing emotional challenges and physical limitations, including difficulty performing everyday tasks due to her injured hand.

Parker’s legal team sought to question the severity of her claims, pointing out that Zwerner was able to complete cosmetology school and attend concerts despite saying she struggles with being in public.