Newport News administrator warned of a gun before a teacher was shot; charges tossed
On January 6, 2023, a 6-year-old shot first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner at Richneck Elementary in Newport News. Zwerner said she warned assistant principal Ebony Parker about 45 minutes earlier that the child had a gun; a grand jury called Parker's lack of response "shocking." On November 6, 2025, a civil jury found Parker liable and awarded Zwerner $10 million. On May 21, 2026, Judge Rebecca Robinson dismissed all eight felony child neglect counts against Parker, saying the General Assembly would need to change the law for such conduct to be a crime. Zwerner's lawyers said the City of Newport News had argued it could deny insurance coverage in the civil case because of possible criminal conduct. Parker has appealed.
"Dr. Parker's job is safety,"
Robinson made her ruling based on "legal theories" about the issues in the case, adding that for them to be a crime, the Virginia General Assembly would need to amend its current laws.
Contacted — no response by publication. This space stays open; any statement is added here in full.
Not yet contacted for this story.
Not yet contacted for this story.
No outcome recorded yet.