A former principal is on trial on felony child neglect charges after prosecutors say she ignored warnings that a 6-year-old student had a loaded gun before the child shot his teacher in 2023.
Jury selection began Monday in Newport News in the trial of Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School. Parker, who has pleaded not guilty, faces eight felony tied to the shooting of first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, according to The Associated Press.
Prosecutors allege several warned Parker that the student might have a gun, but she failed to take action before the shooting happened, the outlet reported.
Parkers defense has argued she is being unfairly blamed for broader failures that preceded the shooting.
Prosecutors brought one count for each of the eight bullets loaded in the gun. If convicted, Parker could face up to five years in prison for each count, AP reported.
The shooting happened on Jan. 6, 2023, when authorities said the 6-year-old student shot Zwerner while she was teaching.Â
She was hospitalized for nearly two weeks and underwent six surgeries after the bullet narrowly missed her heart. She still has limited use of her left hand, according to the AP.
In November 2025, a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in a against Parker, alleging the former administrator dismissed concerns that the student may have brought a gun to school.
In a statement to Fox News Digital at the time, Zwerners legal team said the verdict marked a “major step forward in Abbys long road of healing.”
During the earlier civil trial, Parkers attorneys argued the shooting was “unforeseeable” and maintained she did not have a to protect Zwerner from the attack.
Zwerner is expected to testify in the criminal trial, AP reported.
Authorities said the child got the gun from his mothers purse after climbing onto a dresser. The students mother was previously sentenced to nearly four years in prison.Â
Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
