Virginia judge drops case against school official accused of ignoring warnings before 6-year-old shot teacher

Graphic Content Warning: This nonfiction includes constabulary assemblage camera footage from the aftermath of a schoolhouse shooting.

A Virginia justice dismissed transgression charges against Ebony Parker, the erstwhile adjunct main accused of ignoring warnings earlier a 6-year-old kid changeable a teacher, aft the defence argued the prosecution had not made its case.

"If [Parker's actions] are meant to magnitude to a crime, the legislature volition request to codify it," Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Robinson said Thursday. "Therefore, I bash assistance the defence question to onslaught successful afloat connected each counts, each 8 counts of felony kid maltreatment and endangerment."

Parker enactment her caput down connected the defendant’s array and appeared to beryllium sobbing.

TEACHER SHOT BY 6-YEAR-OLD TELLS JURORS SHE NEVER PULLED CHILD FROM CLASS AS DEFENSE EXPERTS BACK OFFICIALS

Former Richneck Elementary School adjunct main Ebony Parker looks backmost successful the courtroom during Abby Zwerner's suit successful Newport News, Va., connected Oct. 28, 2025. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot via AP, Pool)

Parker was charged with 8 counts of felony kid neglect successful the January 2023 shooting astatine Richneck Elementary School successful Newport News.

The charges alleged Parker "did perpetrate a willful enactment oregon omission successful the attraction of specified students, successful a mode truthful gross, wanton and culpable arsenic to amusement a reckless disregard for quality life," according to tribunal documents.

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Prior to the dismissal of each charges, Parker was perchance facing up to 5 years successful situation connected each count. Thursday's dismissal ends the transgression proceedings against Parker successful the case.

Abigail Zwerner, the teacher changeable by a 6-year-old pupil successful January 2023, was the archetypal witnesser Tuesday, May 19 successful the proceedings of Ebony Parker successful Newport News, Virginia. (WAVY)

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First-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner was injured successful the shooting.

The proceedings began with opening statements Tuesday, and the prosecution called 16 witnesses successful all. On Tuesday, Zwerner took the basal recounting the infinitesimal her 6-year-old pupil opened occurrence connected her successful January 2023.

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"I saw this pupil looking astatine me," she testified. "I looked over, the weapon was pointed close astatine me, and past I was shot."

The slug traveled done her near manus and into her chest, she said.

WATCH: Bodycam video shows teacher aft she was changeable by 6-year-old student

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She told jurors the pupil had already displayed assertive behaviour earlier that week, including an incidental successful which helium grabbed and smashed her cellphone during reading-group time.

Zwerner testified the kid appeared "very defiant" earlier breaking the telephone and had what she described arsenic a "challenging face."

Teacher Abby Zwerner was awarded $10 cardinal successful damages related to the January 2023 shooting astatine Richneck Elementary School successful Newport News, Va. (Newport News Police Department/Associated Press)

In November 2025, Zwerner was awarded $10 cardinal successful a civilian proceedings against Newport News Public Schools, accusing the schoolhouse part and administrators of gross negligence and alleging they ignored aggregate warnings and failed to forestall the shooting.

It besides claimed the pupil had a documented past of concerning and convulsive behavior.