Full Breakdown
New Body-Cam Footage Shows Aftermath of 2023 Virginia Classroom Shooting
By Drooid · · How we work
Incident Overview
In January 2023, a first-grader at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, fired a 9 mm handgun inside his classroom, striking teacher Abby Zwerner in the left hand and chest. The bullet passed through her hand and lodged in her chest, missing the heart. Zwerner survived, was hospitalized for nearly two weeks, and later underwent six surgeries. Police body-camera footage released this week captures officers entering the classroom moments after the shot, the child’s face blurred, and the student repeatedly cursing at officers while describing how he obtained the weapon.
Legal and Civil Fallout
Zwerner sued former assistant principal Ebony Parker, alleging Parker ignored multiple warnings that the child might be armed. A Virginia jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in damages in November 2025, finding Parker grossly negligent. Parker faced eight felony child-neglect counts, but a judge dismissed the criminal case in May, ruling prosecutors had not shown a violation of state law.
The child’s mother, Deja Taylor, was arrested shortly after the shooting. She pleaded guilty to a state felony child-neglect charge and a federal weapons charge involving possession of a firearm while using marijuana. She received a two-year state prison sentence and a 21-month federal sentence, serving the federal term first, and was released in February 2023.
Background & Context
Reading specialist Amy Kovac testified that she warned administrators earlier that day about a possible threat involving the student. Staff reported that several children mentioned the boy might have a gun, and a backpack search before recess found nothing. The child, identified in court documents as J.T., was on a modified schedule and attending school without his mother for the first week. Family members said he had been diagnosed with ADHD and an acute disability, and that a care plan previously required a parent to accompany him daily; that requirement had been lifted shortly before the incident.
On-the-Ground Report
Official Statements & Responses
A Newport News circuit court ordered the video unsealed after a motion by the *Virginian-Pilot* and *Daily Press*, requiring the child’s face to remain blurred. Police confirmed the firearm was recovered from the floor and that gun-shot residue was visible on the child’s hands. The school district acknowledged that administrators received warnings about the student’s potential weapon on the day of the shooting. Virginia law prohibits charging a child under six with a crime, so the student faced no criminal prosecution.
Data & Statistics
- Child’s age: 6 years.
- Injuries: bullet lodged in teacher’s chest; hand injury required multiple surgeries.
- Civil award: $10 million (plus interest) to Zwerner in November 2025.
- Mother’s sentences: 21 months federal, 2 years state; released February 2023.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the timing of Taylor’s release: some reports state February 2023, while others indicate a May release. No public information has been released about any ongoing investigations into how the firearm was stored at the family home.