US school teacher shot by six-year-old student awarded $10m

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Abby Zwerner, 28, was changeable successful 2023 arsenic she sat successful a first-grade schoolroom and sustained life-threatening injuries.

Published On 7 Nov 2025

A assemblage successful the authorities of Virginia successful the United States has awarded $10m to a erstwhile teacher who was changeable by a six-year-old student.

The assemblage connected Thursday sided with erstwhile teacher Abby Zwerner’s claim, made successful a civilian lawsuit, that an ex-administrator astatine the schoolhouse had ignored repeated warnings that the six-year-old kid had a weapon successful class.

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Zwerner, 28, was changeable successful January 2023 arsenic she sat astatine a speechmaking array successful her first-grade schoolroom and spent astir 2 weeks successful the hospital, required six surgeries and inactive does not person the afloat usage of her near hand.

The slug fired by the six-year-old narrowly missed her bosom and remains successful her chest.

Zwerner, who did not code reporters extracurricular the tribunal aft the determination was announced, had sought $40m successful damages against Ebony Parker, a erstwhile adjunct main astatine Richneck Elementary School successful the metropolis of Newport News, Virginia.

One of her lawyers, Diane Toscano, said the verdict sent a connection that what happened astatine the schoolhouse “was incorrect and is not going to beryllium tolerated, that information has to beryllium the archetypal interest astatine school”.

Zwerner’s lawyers had claimed that Parker, the adjunct main astatine the time, had failed to enactment successful the hours earlier the shooting aft respective schoolhouse unit members told her that the pupil had a weapon successful his backpack.

“Who would deliberation a six-year-old would bring a weapon to schoolhouse and sprout their teacher?” Toscano had asked the assemblage earlier.

“It’s Dr Parker’s occupation to judge that is possible. It’s her occupation to analyse it and get to the precise bottommost of it.”

Parker did not attest successful the lawsuit.

The mother of the student who changeable Zwerner was sentenced to 4 years successful situation aft being convicted of kid neglect and firearms charges.

No charges were brought against the child, who told authorities helium got his mother’s handgun by climbing onto a drawer to scope the apical of a dresser, wherever the firearm was successful his mother’s purse.

Newtown Action Alliance, an advocacy organisation that supports reforms aimed astatine addressing weapon violence, said that the lawsuit points to the request for greater regulations implicit the retention of firearms successful homes with children.

“Abby Zwerner was changeable by her 6-year-old pupil utilizing a weapon from home,” the radical said successful a societal media post, adding that “76 percent of schoolhouse shooters get their guns from their homes oregon relatives”.

Abby Zwerner was changeable by her 6-year-old pupil utilizing a weapon from home.

76% of schoolhouse shooters get their guns from their homes oregon relatives.

Urge your Members of Congress to cosponsor Ethan’s Law.

Congressional Switchboard: (202) 224-3121#SafeStorageSavesLives #EndGunViolence pic.twitter.com/YZyuo0KxXj

— Newtown Action Alliance (@NewtownAction) November 6, 2025

Zwerner nary longer works for the schoolhouse territory and has said she has nary plans to thatch again. She has since go a licensed cosmetologist.

While accidents involving young children accessing unsecured firearms successful their homes are communal successful the US, schoolhouse shootings perpetrated by those nether 10 years aged are rare.

A database compiled by US researcher David Riedman has registered astir 15 specified incidents since the 1970s.

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