Former Richneck Elementary School assistant principal Ebony Parker faces eight felony charges of child abuse following the 2023 shooting of a teacher by a six-year-old student in Newport News, Virginia. Prosecutors allege Parker ignored multiple warnings regarding the boy’s possession of a firearm on the day of the classroom shooting.
Indictment Details and Allegations of Negligence
Abigail Zwerner
The legal proceedings center on the events of January 6, 2023, at Richneck Elementary School. A six-year-old student brought a 9mm handgun to school and shot his first-grade teacher, Abigail Zwerner, in the chest. While the physical act was carried out by the child, the subsequent criminal investigation focused on the administrative response to reports that the boy was armed.
In April 2024, a grand jury in Newport News indicted Ebony Parker on eight felony counts of child abuse. The indictment alleges that Parker, who served as the school’s assistant principal at the time, failed to act despite receiving three separate reports that the child had a weapon in his possession. The charges specifically characterize her inaction as a willful disregard for the safety of the students and staff, constituting a level of negligence that warrants criminal prosecution.
Prosecutors contend that the school administration had the opportunity to prevent the shooting had standard safety protocols been followed. The indictment serves as a rare instance of a school administrator facing criminal charges for failing to address a student’s possession of a weapon on campus.
The Sequence of Warnings
Court filings and investigative reports describe a morning defined by escalating concerns from staff members. According to the prosecution, the first report came from a teacher who informed the administration that the student had threatened another child. A second report followed, involving a staff member who expressed concern that the student had a gun in his backpack.
The third report, which prosecutors highlight as the final missed opportunity, involved a staff member who allegedly told Parker that they had searched the child’s backpack and failed to find the weapon, but remained convinced the child was armed.
The prosecution argues that Parker’s response to these warnings was insufficient. Rather than conducting a thorough search or escalating the matter to law enforcement, she allegedly permitted the student to remain in the classroom.
The evidence will show that the defendant’s willful and wanton conduct, and her failure to act, directly contributed to the shooting of Abigail Zwerner and the endangerment of the students in that classroom.
Ebony Parker Abigail Zwerner
Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Newport News
Legal Context and Institutional Fallout
Ebony Parker school administrator
The prosecution of Parker is part of a broader legal fallout from the shooting. Abigail Zwerner, the teacher who was wounded, filed a $40 million lawsuit against Newport News Public Schools, alleging that the administration ignored warnings about the student’s violent history and his possession of a weapon. Zwerner’s legal team has argued that the school district’s failure to address the student’s behavior created a dangerous environment for both teachers and pupils.
The school district has undergone significant leadership changes since the incident. In the weeks following the shooting, the school board moved to terminate the contract of then-Superintendent George Parker III. The district subsequently implemented new security measures, including the installation of metal detectors and the requirement for clear backpacks in certain grade levels.
For Ebony Parker, the legal path ahead involves navigating the felony charges, which carry significant prison time if a conviction is secured. The case has sparked a national conversation regarding the legal liability of school administrators when they receive specific, actionable intelligence about weapons on school grounds.
As of May 2026, the case remains a focal point for the community in Newport News. The trial proceedings are expected to scrutinize the internal communications of the school’s leadership team and the specific policies that were—or were not—followed during the hours preceding the shooting. While the student who fired the weapon was not charged due to his age, the criminal case against the former assistant principal seeks to establish accountability for those responsible for the safety of the school environment.
The defense has maintained that Parker did not act with the intent required for felony child abuse charges, framing the situation as a tragic failure of systemic protocols rather than individual criminal culpability. The court will ultimately determine if the failure to intervene reaches the threshold of criminal negligence under Virginia law.
