A previous assistant principal at a Virginia grade school must be held criminally accountable after her “absence of action” and “bad choices” permitted a trainee to deliberately shoot his first-grade instructor in 2015, according to an unique grand jury report launched Wednesday.
Ebony Parker, who resigned in the wake of the shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News on Jan. 6, 2023, now deals with 8 counts of felony kid abuse and overlook, each bring as much as 5 years in jail, the case’s court docket initially revealed Tuesday.
The 31-page grand jury report declares that Parker stopped working to safeguard the 15 kids, ages 6 and 7, in instructor Abigail Zwerner’s class. It states Zwerner was hurt by among her 6-year-old trainees in spite of numerous cautions from team member and other trainees who thought the young boy had a weapon and postured an impending risk on the day of the shooting.
“Dr. Parker’s absence of reaction and effort offered the severity of the details she had actually gotten on January 6, 2023 is stunning,” the report states.
Authorities react to a shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Va., in January 2023. Billy Schuerman/ The Virginian-Pilot/TNS/via Getty Images file
The report offers more information about the occasions leading up to the shooting and throughout it, amongst them that after the young boy shot Zwerner at less than 6 feet away, he attempted to fire once again however was warded off.
“The kid continued to gaze at her, not altering his psychological facial expression as he attempted to shoot once again,” the report states. “The gun had actually jammed due to his absence of strength on the very first shot hindering him from shooting Ms. Zwerner or anybody else once again. The gun had a complete publication with 7 extra bullets all set to fire if not for the gun jamming.”
An arrest date for Parker was noted as Tuesday. It was not right away clear whether she has legal representation.
The Newport News Commonwealth Attorney’s Office decreased to comment Wednesday about the grand jury report and stated it would hold a press conference Thursday.
According to the grand jury report, Parker was warned on 4 celebrations on the day of the shooting that the kid may be a “possibly hazardous risk”: At twelve noon, a Richneck reading expert informed Parker that 2 trainees informed her the kid had a weapon in his knapsack, yet it was not examined; at 12:30 p.m., the reading expert informed Parker that while she did browse the knapsack and did not discover a weapon, Zwerner stated the kid put something in his pockets; a music instructor informed Parker that another first-grade instructor pointed out a weapon; and at 1:40 p.m., an assistance therapist informed Parker the kid may have a gun or ammo and, when he asked whether he might browse him, Parker “declined and took no action.”
About 20 minutes later on, the young boy would go on to shoot Zwerner with a weapon including 8 bullets.
