Trending Now - Trial Begins for Ex-assistant Principal in Classroom Shooting Case
WHO:
ABC News - Deja Taylor, mother of the 6-year-old boy, was sentenced to two years in prison for felony child neglect and a 21-month sentence on related federal charges.
CNN - Ebony Parker, former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School.
CNN - Abby Zwerner, first-grade teacher who was shot.
ABC News - Deja Taylor, mother of the 6-year-old boy who shot Zwerner.
WHAT:
CNN - Parker's trial is expected to last about three days.
ABC News - Zwerner's attorney stated, "A gun changes everything. You stop and you investigate."
AP News - Parker's attorneys argued in a civil trial that the shooting was "unforeseeable."
ABC News - Zwerner testified she first heard about the gun prior to class recess from a reading specialist who had been tipped off by students.
CNN - Parker was charged with eight counts of felony child abuse, one for each bullet in the gun the student used.
ABC News - Zwerner filed a $40 million lawsuit against Parker after leaving the hospital.
ABC News - Zwerner testified she suffered a hand injury that makes it difficult to open a bottle of water and feels numb around people.
CNN - Parker is the first educator to face trial in circumstances involving a juvenile carrying out a school shooting.
ABC News - Zwerner is scheduled to testify in the criminal case.
AP News - Jury selection began for Parker's trial.
CNN - Parker has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
CNN - The trial is expected to last about three days.
ABC News - Zwerner's physical and psychological injuries were a key part of the civil trial, where she stated, "I thought I was on my way to heaven or in heaven."
ABC News - Zwerner testified she can’t shake the boy’s “blank look” as he aimed at her.
ABC News - Zwerner's attorney stated, "A gun changes everything. You stop and you investigate."
ABC News - Parker's defense called an expert witness who testified that Parker did not breach professional standards or act with indifference.
ABC News - The expert, Amy Klinger, stated, "No one is the sole person responsible for school safety."
CNN - Parker is charged with eight counts of felony child abuse and disregard for life.
ABC News - Each felony count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
ABC News - A civil jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in a lawsuit against Parker.
ABC News - Zwerner required six surgeries and does not have full use of her left hand due to the shooting.
ABC News - The boy shot Zwerner in the chest and hand.
WHERE:
CNN - Richneck Elementary School, Newport News, Virginia.
WHEN:
ABC News - Deja Taylor was released from state custody to community supervision on May 13.
CNN - The shooting occurred in January 2023.
CNN - Parker was charged in 2024.
ABC News - Parker's criminal trial is set to start on Monday.
CNN - Zwerner was released from the hospital after nearly two weeks.
WHY:
CNN - The charges allege Parker committed “a willful act or omission in the care of such students, in a manner so gross, wanton and culpable as to show a reckless disregard for human life,” according to court documents.
ABC News - The charges allege Parker committed a willful act or omission in the care of students, showing a reckless disregard for human life.
CNN - The shooting sent shock waves through the military shipbuilding community and the country at large, raising questions about child access to firearms.
CNN - Prosecutors allege Parker ignored warnings about the student bringing a gun to school.
ABC News - The charges allege Parker acted with gross negligence, showing reckless disregard for human life.
HOW:
ABC News - The defense called just one witness – an expert in education administration and school safety who testified Parker did not breach professional standards or act with indifference.
CNN - Parker's defense called an expert witness who testified that Parker did not breach professional standards or act with indifference.
CNN - Parker's attorneys argued in a civil trial that the shooting was "unforeseeable" and that she did not have a legal duty to protect Zwerner.
ABC News - The boy told authorities he climbed to the top of a dresser to retrieve the gun from his mother's purse.
CNN - The boy took the unsecured gun from his mother’s purse and brought it to school in his backpack.
ABC News - Zwerner testified she was informed about the gun prior to class recess by a reading specialist.
(UPDATED May 19, 2026 08:07 UTC)
Parker's trial is expected to last about three days, with charges alleging that she committed a willful act or omission in the care of students, showing a reckless disregard for human life. During the proceedings, Zwerner testified that she first learned about the gun from a reading specialist who had been tipped off by students, while her attorney emphasized the significant impact of a gun, stating, "A gun changes everything. You stop and you investigate." In defense, Parker's attorneys argued that the shooting was "unforeseeable," and they called only one witness, an expert in education administration and school safety, who testified that Parker did not breach professional standards or act with indifference.
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(UPDATED May 18, 2026 23:19 UTC)
Deja Taylor, the mother of the 6-year-old boy, has been sentenced to two years in prison for felony child neglect, along with a 21-month sentence for related federal charges. Meanwhile, Parker faces eight counts of felony child abuse, one for each bullet in the gun used by the student, and has been sued for $40 million by Zwerner, who testified about her ongoing hand injury and difficulties with daily tasks. In court, Parker's defense presented an expert witness who claimed that Parker did not violate professional standards or act with indifference.
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(UPDATED May 18, 2026 19:26 UTC)
Parker has become the first educator to face trial in connection with a school shooting involving a juvenile, with jury selection now underway. Zwerner is set to testify in this criminal case, where Parker is accused of willfully neglecting her duty of care for students, demonstrating a reckless disregard for human life. In a previous civil trial, Parker's attorneys contended that the shooting was "unforeseeable" and claimed she had no legal obligation to protect Zwerner.
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(UPDATED May 18, 2026 14:19 UTC)
Parker has pleaded not guilty to charges related to a shooting incident that has raised significant concerns about child access to firearms. The trial is expected to last about three days, during which Zwerner will testify about her traumatic experience, describing the moment she saw the boy's "blank look" as he aimed at her. In defense, an expert witness stated that Parker did not breach professional standards, emphasizing that "no one is the sole person responsible for school safety."
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(UPDATED May 18, 2026 10:17 UTC)
Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School, is facing eight counts of felony child abuse and disregard for life, with each count potentially leading to five years in prison. This comes after first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner was shot by a 6-year-old student, requiring six surgeries and resulting in a civil jury awarding her $10 million in a lawsuit against Parker. The charges against Parker stem from allegations that she ignored warnings about the student bringing an unsecured gun from his mother's purse to school, and her criminal trial is set to begin on Monday.