Abby Zwerner Takes Stand in School Shooting Case

It is a case that could set a precedent for the accountability of school officials in the event of a shooting. A first-grade teacher who was shot by her 6-year-old student at an elementary school took the stand to testify on Thursday in a civil trial against a former assistant principal. The principal is accused of ignoring several warnings suggesting that the student may have brought a gun to school in Virginia before the shooting. Here is a look at what happened in the courtroom this week.

Virginia School Shooting Victim Takes Witness Stand

Shooting victim Abby Zwerner testified that she thought she was dying after being shot in the hand and chest on January 6, 2023. Zwerner was sitting at a table in her classroom at Richneck Elementary School in the town of Newport News when her student opened fire. Zwerner said that she instinctively raised her hand as the bullet came her way. The former teacher said that she will never forget the blank look on the boy's face as he shot her.

Zwerner said that she remembers seeing two coworkers surrounding her as they put pressure on the wound. Ex-assistant principal Ebony Parker is named in the $40 million lawsuit. Zwerner claims that Parker did not act appropriately when several people expressed worries that the student had brought a gun into the school building.

The civil trial provides clues about what the criminal case against Parker will entail next month. Parker faces eight counts of felony child neglect in that case.

It is not often that charges are brought against school administrators after a school shooting. Legal experts believe that the outcome of this case could set a precedent for similar events.

The plaintiff spent a good deal of time describing the physical consequences of her injuries. She said that she is unable to fully use her left hand even after undergoing multiple surgeries. Zwerner detailed how she struggles performing everyday tasks, such as opening water bottles. She also testified that she has persistent emotional trauma as a result of the shooting, describing that she is often afraid to go out in public and that she feels distant from her friends because she just wants to stay home.

Parker is accused of ignoring concerns from teachers and other staff members about the student. The complaint also notes that the student removed an object that was likely a gun from his backpack prior to it being searched. The lawsuit details that a guidance counselor and administrator both said that Parker forbade them from searching the student for a firearm.

The 6-year-old had been dealing with ongoing behavior problems while at school, necessitating that a parent accompany him every day due to his "violent tendencies." For example, the boy had strangled and choked a teacher the previous year. Despite the rules, school administrators allowed him to be at school without this parental guidance on the day of the shooting.

Zwerner's attorneys called on a psychiatrist to testify, detailing that Zwerner has suffered post-traumatic stress disorder in the months after the shooting. Dr. Clarence Watson testified that Zwerner has had to overcome mental stressors in the past, but that the shooting has exacerbated these mental health challenges.

The chief of surgery at the hospital where Zwerner was treated also testified this week, confirming that her injuries were life-threatening. Dr. Daniel Munn said that Zwerner's lung had collapsed and that the bullet barely missed the heart. In addition, orthopedic surgeon James Stuart also spoke to the severity of Zwerner's hand injury.

Details of Parker's Defense

Parker's defense attorney worked to portray Zwerner as an unreliable witness. The attorney presented evidence demonstrating that Zwerner had attended several concerts since being shot. The defense also worked to undermine Zwerner's assertion that she is physically hindered by the injuries, questioning how she was able to graduate from cosmetology school without the full function of her hand.

Zwerner responded by saying that she is often in pain. She also said that she did not get a job in the cosmetology field because she needs to wait for her hand to heal after the last surgery.

The student was never charged. However, the student’s mother faced charges of child neglect and federal weapons violations, resulting in a prison sentence of nearly four years. The gun was purchased by the mother and kept in the closet. While the mother originally claimed that the weapon was secured by a trigger lock, prosecutors later proved that there was no such lock on the gun. The boy was able to stand on a dresser drawer and take the firearm out of a purse, later putting it in his backpack and taking it to school.

The mother turned herself in to the police and cooperated with the investigation. She had no prior criminal record.

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