• Abby Zwerner details her traumatic experience after being shot by a 6-year-old student.
• She is suing former assistant principal Ebony Parker, alleging negligence.
• Zwerner’s injuries required multiple surgeries, significantly impacting her life.
• The incident highlights concerns about student safety in schools.
• Ebony Parker faces criminal charges related to the incident.

Abby Zwerner, a former teacher in Virginia, testified about the traumatic day in January 2023 when she was shot by a 6-year-old student, leading to her ongoing $40 million lawsuit against former assistant principal Ebony Parker. During her emotional testimony, Zwerner recounted, “I thought I was dying, I thought I had died,” as she experienced the horrific moment when the student opened fire in her classroom at Richneck Elementary School. The bullet that struck her narrowly missed her heart and remains lodged in her chest, greatly affecting her physical abilities, according to BBC, South China Morning Post, CBS News, and ABC News.

Zwerner's lawsuit claims that Parker failed to act on multiple warnings that the student possessed a firearm that day. She testified that she learned about the gun from a fellow staff member and had assumed that the matter was being addressed. In court, she explained that she did not directly confront Parker about the concerns raised by another teacher, stating, "I trusted Ms. Kovac," who had more experience. Zwerner added that she had only realized the student's gun was real moments before the shooting when he fired at her, according to BBC, South China Morning Post, CBS News, and ABC News.

The incident raised significant concerns about school safety procedures, especially regarding how a firearm could come into the possession of such a young child. Following the shooting, Zwerner endured a lengthy hospitalization and multiple surgeries, which drastically altered her life and career. She has since trained as a licensed cosmetologist, indicating she does not intend to return to teaching due to the trauma experienced, as detailed by BBC, South China Morning Post, CBS News, and ABC News.

Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal, faces her own set of legal challenges, as she has been charged with eight counts of felony child neglect in connection with her alleged negligence leading up to the shooting. Prosecutors will argue that she failed to protect students despite being informed of the danger posed by the child who ultimately injured Zwerner. Her criminal trial is set to proceed soon, further adding complexity to this tragic incident, as highlighted by BBC, South China Morning Post, CBS News, and ABC News.