Full Breakdown
Body-cam Footage Reveals Aftermath of 6-Year-Old’s School Shooting
By Drooid · · How we work
The Incident on January 6, 2023
On the afternoon of January 6, 2023, a first-grader identified in court only as J.T. entered Classroom 11 at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, and discharged a 9 mm Taurus handgun at his teacher, Abby Zwerner. The bullet passed through Zwerner’s hand and lodged near her heart; she survived. Police and sheriff’s deputies arrived within minutes; the weapon lay on the floor 15–20 feet from the boy. Reading specialist Amy Kovac restrained J.T. while officers secured the scene.
Background & Context
Court records show J.T. removed the handgun from his mother’s purse, placed it in his backpack, and brought it to school during a reading period. He had been on a modified schedule and was attending school without his mother for the first week. The gun jammed after the single shot, leaving seven additional rounds in the chamber.
Legal and Financial Outcomes
J.T.’s mother, 29-year-old Deja Nicole Taylor, was convicted of felony child neglect and of lying on a background-check form when purchasing the firearm. She received a prison term of nearly four years and was released in early 2026. The teacher, Zwerner, pursued a civil claim against former assistant principal Ebony Parker, alleging failure to act on warnings about the child’s gun. A Virginia jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in damages. Parker’s eight felony-neglect counts were dismissed before trial. J.T. was placed in the custody of his great-grandfather in Newport News.
Data & Statistics
- The body-camera video, obtained by *The Virginian-Pilot* and *The Daily Press*, has been viewed more than 27 million times on social media.
- The firearm was a 9 mm Taurus handgun with eight rounds, one of which was fired.
Official Statements & Responses
Judge Rebecca M. Robinson initially sealed the video during the criminal trial, then ordered it unsealed with the child’s face blurred after a motion by the newspapers.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I called 911 when I heard a gun…I came down the hall, she had blood.” — Amy Kovac, reading specialist
- “I mean, he does have the gun residue, looks like,” — Amy Kovac, reading specialist
- “OK, let’s just not touch his hands or anything, OK?” — Officer Brian Torrez
- “We know you know that language — and you know that’s not appropriate,” — Amy Kovac, reading specialist
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources agree the handgun contained seven additional rounds, but some accounts describe the count as “seven more rounds” while others simply note “a bullet.” Taylor’s release is referenced as early 2026 without a specific calendar date.
What’s Next
The unsealed video continues to be cited in ongoing civil litigation and in debates over school-safety protocols in Virginia. Court filings indicate that further appeals concerning the sealing order may be pursued, and the $10 million verdict against Parker could influence future negligence claims against school administrators.