School Shooting Newport News

Opening statements have been given in the trial of a former assistant principal in Virginia who faces criminal charges from a 2023 school shooting. Ebony Parker is accused of ignoring repeated warnings that a student brought a loaded gun to Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. Parker was the assistant principal when a 6-year-old student shot his first grade teacher. Parker is charged with eight counts of felony child neglect. Prosecutors say Parker did nothing when she was approached several times by school employees about a gun in the student's backpack. Parker's attorney says teachers who knew about the situation should have separated the student from his classmates.

A judge has dismissed all charges against a former school administrator accused of ignoring warnings about a 6-year-old with a gun. Circuit Judge Rebecca Robinson ruled on Thursday that the actions of Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal, did not constitute a crime. The charges stemmed from a January 2023 shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, where teacher Abby Zwerner was wounded. Prosecutors charged Parker with eight felony counts of child neglect, each carrying a potential five-year sentence. Parker’s defense argued she was unaware the child had a gun. The student’s mother received a prison sentence for related charges.