By Harshit, NEWPORT NEWS, Va., 1 NOVEMBER, 2025 —
Teacher Abby Zwerner gave emotional testimony Thursday describing the moment a 6-year-old student shot her inside her classroom — and the lasting trauma that followed. Her civil case against former assistant principal Ebony Parker could shape the upcoming criminal trial in one of the nation’s most closely watched school negligence cases.
‘I Thought I Had Died’
On January 6, 2023, Zwerner was seated at a reading table at Richneck Elementary School when she saw the young boy raise a handgun toward her.
“I instinctively raised my hand toward my heart,” Zwerner recalled. “After the bullet hit me, I thought I was dying. I thought I had died.”
The bullet struck her hand and chest, narrowly missing her heart. She described the child’s “blank look” — a memory she said still haunts her.
Zwerner’s lawsuit seeks $40 million in damages, alleging that Parker ignored multiple warnings that the first grader may have brought a gun to school that day. Several staff members, according to earlier testimony, had approached Parker with concerns before the shooting.
Parker, who has since resigned, faces eight counts of felony child neglect in a criminal trial scheduled for next month.
Lasting Physical and Emotional Scars
Zwerner detailed the ongoing pain and limitations caused by her injuries. Even after six surgeries, her right hand remains severely impaired.
“I was trying to open a bag of chips on my own multiple times — I just couldn’t do it,” she testified. “I eventually asked my attorney to help.”
An orthopedic surgeon testified that her hand will “never be normal again.” Medical experts also revealed that her injuries were life-threatening, with the bullet missing her heart by only a fraction of an inch.
The trauma has also left Zwerner emotionally isolated. Psychiatrist Dr. Clarence Watson testified she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, describing symptoms of fear, withdrawal, and numbness.
“She has lost the sense of being safe,” Watson said. “She now doesn’t want to go anywhere.”
Zwerner recounted breaking down during a trip to see Hamilton, saying the musical’s duel scene triggered panic. “I just wanted to go home,” she said quietly.
Defense Challenges Zwerner’s Claims
During cross-examination, Parker’s attorneys sought to question the extent of Zwerner’s trauma and physical limitations.
They presented evidence showing she had attended concerts, including Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, and argued that she had enrolled in and graduated from cosmetology school despite her claims of disability.
Zwerner responded that she remains unable to work in cosmetology due to ongoing pain and recent surgery. “I was proud to graduate,” she said, “but it wasn’t easy.”
The defense also suggested Zwerner may share partial responsibility, arguing she knew of a possible threat that morning but did not personally inform Parker.
A University of Virginia law professor, Darryl K. Brown, said the defense strategy appeared aimed at shifting some blame to Zwerner herself.
“That can be the basis for the defendant not being held negligent,” Brown explained, “even if Parker was primarily at fault.”
A Rare Legal Sequence
The civil trial is being held before Parker’s criminal trial — a highly unusual sequence. Brown said Parker may have waived her right to a speedy trial to observe the civil proceedings first.
“I suspect the defense wanted the civil case to go forward because it gives them a preview of what evidence might appear in the criminal trial,” Brown noted.
The civil case centers on Parker’s alleged inaction despite multiple staff warnings. The criminal trial, by contrast, will focus more heavily on what Parker knew and when she knew it, prosecutors say.
A Broader School Safety Crisis
The case underscores a larger national concern: the recurring problem of school shootings involving young children.
As of this week, 64 school shootings have occurred in the United States this year, 27 of them on K–12 campuses.
For Zwerner, the courtroom testimony is not just about accountability but also survival — and the enduring cost of violence inside America’s classrooms.
“I still have nightmares,” she said. “I just want to feel safe again.”