Trending Now - Charges Dropped for Ex-school Official in Teacher Shooting Case

WHO:

CNN - Ebony Parker, former assistant principal

CNN - Abby Zwerner, first-grade teacher who was shot

CNN - Deja Taylor, mother of the 6-year-old shooter

ABC News - JT, the 6-year-old student involved in the shooting

CNN - Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Robinson

ABC News - Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney's Office

WHAT:

CNN - Parker's defense argued that she had directed an educator to search the boy’s backpack and recommended against searching the child’s pockets until his mother arrived at the school.

ABC News - The commonwealth rested its case after two days of calling witnesses.

ABC News - The dismissal of the criminal trial comes after a jury in a civil trial found that Parker acted with gross negligence in the shooting and awarded the injured teacher, Abby Zwerner, $10 million in damages.

ABC News - Zwerner's attorneys stated that the judge's decision means Newport News can no longer use the criminal charges against Parker to deny insurance coverage in her civil case.

CNN - Parker put her head down on the defendant’s table and appeared to be sobbing after the dismissal of charges.

ABC News - The charges against Parker were based on allegations that she 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 - Zwerner's attorneys stated that the judge's decision means Newport News can no longer use the criminal charges against Parker to deny insurance coverage in her civil case.

CNN - Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Robinson stated, “The court is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime,” during the dismissal of charges against Ebony Parker.

ABC News - Parker's defense argued that she had directed an educator to search the boy’s backpack and recommended against searching the child’s pockets until his mother arrived at the school.

CNN - The prosecution called 16 witnesses during the trial, including school educators, law enforcement officers, and parents.

CNN - The boy had taken the unsecured gun from his mother’s purse and brought it to school in his backpack.

ABC News - Deja Taylor, the mother of the shooter, pleaded guilty to a state charge of felony child neglect and federal gun charges related to the incident and served multiple years in custody before being released last week.

CNN - The case against Ebony Parker was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought to trial again.

CNN - Parker faced up to five years in prison on each of the eight counts of felony child abuse and disregard for life.

ABC News - The charges against Parker were one count for each bullet that was unspent in the child’s gun.

ABC News - The commonwealth rested its case after two days of calling witnesses.

ABC News - Parker has filed an appeal in the civil case where Zwerner was awarded $10 million in damages.

CNN - A Virginia circuit court judge dismissed criminal charges against Ebony Parker.

CNN - Parker was charged with eight counts of felony child abuse and disregard for life.

ABC News - The dismissal of the criminal trial means Newport News can no longer use the criminal charges against Parker to deny insurance coverage in Zwerner's civil case.

ABC News - A civil jury awarded Abby Zwerner $10 million in damages for Parker's alleged gross negligence.

WHERE:

CNN - Richneck Elementary School, Newport News, Virginia

WHEN:

CNN - The shooting incident occurred in January 2023.

ABC News - The civil jury's verdict in favor of Zwerner was delivered last November.

WHY:

ABC News - Zwerner's attorneys said the dismissal of the criminal trial means Newport News can no longer use the criminal charges against Parker to "deny insurance coverage" in her civil case.

ABC News - Zwerner's attorneys claimed that one of the obstacles placed by the City of Newport News in Zwerner's path to justice was their argument they could deny insurance coverage due to possible criminal conduct.

CNN - The dismissal of the criminal case means Newport News can no longer use the criminal charges against Parker to deny insurance coverage in Zwerner's civil case.

CNN - The dismissal was influenced by the defense's argument that the prosecution did not prove Parker committed a crime.

CNN - The charges against Parker were based on allegations that she ignored warnings about the child having a gun.

ABC News - The dismissal of the criminal case was influenced by the defense's argument that the prosecution did not make its case.

HOW:

CNN - The defense accused other teachers, including Zwerner, of failing to take proper action to protect students.

CNN - The defense argued that the prosecution failed to prove Parker committed a crime.

CNN - Several educators testified that they informed Parker about suspicions regarding the child having a firearm.

(UPDATED May 21, 2026 23:20 UTC)

In a significant development, the commonwealth has rested its case after two days of witness testimonies in the trial involving Parker, whose defense argued that she had instructed an educator to search a boy's backpack but advised against searching his pockets until his mother arrived. This comes on the heels of a civil trial where a jury found Parker acted with gross negligence in the shooting, awarding the injured teacher, Abby Zwerner, $10 million in damages. Zwerner's attorneys noted that the dismissal of the criminal trial means Newport News can no longer use the criminal charges against Parker to deny insurance coverage in her civil case.

(UPDATED May 21, 2026 21:29 UTC)

In a significant legal development, the charges against Parker were dismissed, leading her to put her head down on the defendant’s table, appearing to sob. The allegations had claimed that she acted with gross negligence in the care of students, showing a reckless disregard for human life. Following the judge's decision, Zwerner's attorneys noted that Newport News can no longer use the dismissed criminal charges to deny insurance coverage in Zwerner's civil case.

(UPDATED May 21, 2026 19:43 UTC)

Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Robinson has dismissed the charges against Ebony Parker, stating, “The court is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime.” During the trial, the prosecution called 16 witnesses, while Parker's defense argued that she had only directed an educator to search a boy's backpack, advising against searching his pockets until his mother arrived. This dismissal also means that Newport News can no longer use the criminal charges against Parker to deny insurance coverage in the civil case involving Zwerner.

(UPDATED May 21, 2026 17:46 UTC)

The case against Ebony Parker has been dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be retried, after she faced serious charges of felony child abuse and disregard for life. The defense argued successfully that the prosecution failed to prove Parker committed a crime, while also pointing fingers at other teachers, including Zwerner, for not taking adequate steps to protect students. Additionally, Parker has filed an appeal in a civil case where Zwerner was awarded $10 million in damages.

(UPDATED May 21, 2026 16:13 UTC)

A Virginia circuit court judge has dismissed criminal charges against Ebony Parker, who faced eight counts of felony child abuse and disregard for life related to a shooting incident at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. This dismissal means that Newport News can no longer use these charges to deny insurance coverage in the civil case where a jury awarded first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner $10 million for Parker's alleged gross negligence. The defense successfully argued that the prosecution did not prove Parker committed a crime, despite testimony from several educators who had warned her about suspicions regarding the child having a firearm.