• Teacher Abigail Zwerner, shot by a 6-year-old student, testifies in civil court against former assistant principal
• Civil lawsuit accuses former assistant principal of negligence after warnings about student potentially bringing a gun, while the incident may lead to later criminal consequences

A civil court in Virginia witnessed an emotional day as Abigail Zwerner, the former teacher who was shot by a six-year-old student, took the stand to testify about the incident against the former assistant principal.

Zwerner sustained serious injuries requiring multiple surgeries, saying in her testimony, "I thought I was dying, I thought I had died. I felt like I was on my way to heaven, then everything went black."

She filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal, accusing her of failing to act despite prior warnings that the child might have brought a gun to school.

Parker’s attorney stated that her client could not have predicted what would happen.

The incident occurred in 2023, when the student fired a single shot at Zwerner while she was teaching a first-grade class at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. The bullet pierced her hand and chest.

Zwerner said, "The look on the student’s face is the large memory that I have."

The lawsuit claims that Parker had been warned about the issue 45 minutes before the shooting and took no preventive action.

Zwerner described how two colleagues were pressing on her wound, which was the moment she realized the severity of her injuries.

The former teacher explained to the jury the physical and psychological challenges she has faced since the incident, stating that she still feels connected and loving toward those around her but also experiences a sense of distance and numbness.

She added that she cannot perform simple tasks, such as opening a bag of potato chips or a water bottle, due to her injuries.

The lawsuit accuses Parker of "a willful act or omission in the care" of students that showed "reckless disregard for human life."

It also notes that Zwerner had warned Parker that the student was in a "violent mood" and had threatened another child, but Parker allegedly did not respond or even look at the warnings.

Parker’s attorney, Daniel Hogan, described the case as "hindsight bias," stating, "No one could have expected a first-grade student to bring a firearm to school."

He added that the jury will have to answer difficult questions about what was reasonably foreseeable, whether Parker neglected her duty, and whether Zwerner took steps to protect herself.

The civil trial is expected to be followed by a criminal case, with Parker facing eight counts of child neglect, each carrying up to five years in prison.

The student’s mother was sentenced to nearly four years for neglect and federal weapons charges.

The student faced no charges and is reportedly in the care of a relative and enrolled in another school.