• A jury awarded $10 million to former teacher Abby Zwerner after she was shot by a 6-year-old student.
• The lawsuit claimed the school's assistant principal ignored multiple warnings about the child having a gun.
• Zwerner suffered significant injuries and now lacks full use of her left hand due to the shooting.
• The assistant principal faces eight counts of felony child neglect, with a separate trial scheduled.
• The case has raised concerns about firearm safety in homes and the responsibility of school officials.

A jury in Virginia awarded $10 million to former teacher Abby Zwerner, who was shot by a 6-year-old student in January 2023 while teaching at Richneck Elementary School. Zwerner, who sought $40 million in her civil lawsuit, alleged that the school's assistant principal, Ebony Parker, failed to act after receiving multiple warnings about the boy potentially bringing a firearm to school, according to ABC News, CBS News, BBC, SCMP, Reuters, NPR.

Zwerner, 28, sustained serious injuries, spending nearly two weeks in the hospital and undergoing six surgeries, which left her with a bullet lodged in her chest and significantly diminished use of her left hand. During her testimony, she stated, “I thought I had died,” reflecting on the traumatic event, as reported by Los Angeles Times and Al Jazeera.

The lawsuit highlighted Parker's inaction despite being informed multiple times by staff members that the student had a gun in his backpack. Zwerner’s attorney argued that it was Parker’s responsibility to investigate the situation, emphasizing the need for heightened safety measures in schools, according to India Times and SCMP.

In the aftermath of the shooting, the boy was reportedly not criminally charged due to his age; however, his mother, Deja Taylor, received a sentence of nearly four years in prison for child neglect related to the incident. Parker is currently facing a separate criminal trial on charges of felony child neglect, with potential penalties of up to five years per count, according to Reuters and Los Angeles Times.