SCHOOL NIGHTMARE: Officials KNEW, Did NOTHING, Child Shot!

The courtroom fell silent as the harrowing details began to unfold – the story of a first-grade teacher, Abigail Zwerner, forever changed by a single, terrifying moment. It was January 6th, 2023, a day that shattered the sense of safety within the walls of Richneck Elementary. Attorneys representing Zwerner painted a stark picture for the jury: a picture of repeated warnings ignored, of a preventable tragedy unfolding due to negligence. The core of the $40 million civil trial centers on the actions – or inaction – of Ebony Parker, the school’s former assistant principal. Multiple staff members, including a guidance counselor, music teacher, and reading specialist, had voiced concerns about the six-year-old student, suggesting he might be armed. These weren’t vague suspicions; they were direct warnings about a potential firearm. Yet, the defense argued, anticipating such an act from a child was simply “not foreseeable.” “1:58 p.m., BANG!” The attorney’s voice echoed the chilling sound that reverberated through the classroom. A 9mm bullet ripped through Zwerner’s hand and lodged in her chest. It remains there today, deemed too dangerous to remove. The lawsuit alleges Parker was grossly negligent, possessing multiple opportunities to intervene and secure the weapon. Witnesses testified to a pattern of dismissed concerns. Amy Kovac, a reading specialist, recounted a chilling exchange with Parker after learning the boy had threatened a kindergartner and acted aggressively. Parker, Kovac testified, barely acknowledged the information, suggesting Zwerner could simply call the boy’s mother. Kovac directly warned Parker that the child might have concealed the gun in his jacket. Parker’s response? “Well, he has little pockets.” Moments later, the gunshot shattered the afternoon calm. Kovac, driven by instinct, raced to the classroom. She described the boy standing with a disturbing composure, legs spread, arms crossed. Acting swiftly, she restrained him, using Zwerner’s phone to call for help, her voice trembling as she reported, “A teacher’s been shot. I have the shooter. Send help.” Another teacher, Jennifer West, testified that a visibly shaken student had confided in her after recess, stating the six-year-old had shown him the gun and a bullet. This information was relayed to the front office and a school counselor. The counselor, Rolonzo Rawles, testified he asked Parker for permission to search the child. Parker allegedly responded that the boy’s mother was on her way and they should wait to search him then. Rawles, hesitant to overstep, deferred to her authority. The prosecution argued Parker had the power, the responsibility, to act decisively. “Who would think a 6-year-old is going to bring a gun to school and shoot their teacher?” the attorney asked the jury. “Dr. Parker’s job is to believe that is possible.” Parker faces a separate criminal trial next month, accused of eight counts of felony child neglect – one for each student endangered in the classroom. The boy’s mother, Deja Taylor, is already serving a two-year prison sentence for felony neglect and federal weapons charges. The trial continues, a somber reckoning with a day that irrevocably altered lives and exposed a system grappling with unimaginable consequences.