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A special grand jury in Virginia has indicted Dr. Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal of Richneck Elementary School, on eight counts of felony child neglect. This indictment stems from an incident last year where a 6-year-old student shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner.

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Security Risks Dismissed or Ignored

According to the findings of the special grand jury, administrators at Richneck Elementary School either dismissed or ignored security risks before the tragic incident occurred. Despite repeated warnings about the presence of a firearm in the possession of the young student, no effective action was taken to prevent the unfortunate event.

Abby Zwerner, the victim of the shooting, had filed a $40 million lawsuit against school district officials, citing their failure to address the alarming situation adequately. 

Former Vice Principal Indicted

Parker was arrested Tuesday.

She stands accused of neglecting her duty after being informed by multiple staff members that the child brought a gun to school on the day of the shooting.  Parker allegedly took no action.

The Grand jury report claimed, “Dr. Parker’s lack of response and initiative given the seriousness of the information she had received on January 6, 2023, is shocking.” 

The report said the gun jammed after the boy fired the first shot, seriously wounding his teacher. Seven bullets remained in the magazine in the gun. 

The Newport News Commonwealth Attorney’s Office issued a statement explaining that the eight counts of felony child neglect are consistent with the eight bullets.

Parker faces up to 40 years in prison with each count carrying a sentence of up to five years.

The child shooter’s mother, Deja Taylor, was sentenced last year on Federal gun charges to 21 months in prison. 

She also was sentenced to two years on Virginia charges for enabling the shooting. She pleaded guilty to state and federal charges.

Special Grand Jury Report

The grand jury's report highlighted several missed opportunities and baffling decisions by the school administration in the lead-up to the incident. 

It criticized the handling of the student's disciplinary record, which included prior instances of aggression. The report noted the absence of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for the troubled child, raising concerns about the lack of appropriate intervention.

Troubled Child

The child involved in the shooting had a troubled history, with documented instances of physical aggression, lack of self-control and other behavioral issues. He had attempted to choke a teacher the semester before and constantly used profanity.

Despite these red flags, the school failed to provide adequate support or consider alternative placements, such as an IEP or alternative school placement. This failure to address the child's needs contributed to the escalation of the situation.

This type of shooting by a person so young is extremely rare. According to David Riedman, the creator of the K-12 School Shooting Database, “This is the 17th shooting by someone under 10 years of age in a school. It’s rare for a 6-year-old to pull the trigger,” he said.

Recommendations

The grand jury’s findings highlight a series of systemic failures within the school administration.

In addition to indicting the former school administrator the jury recommended further investigation of how the child’s case was handled by Richneck Elementary School and the school district as a whole. 

There were questions about the handling of the student's files by the school administration. Two crucial student files were missing when officials executed a search warrant. 

The grand jury wants to determine if this was negligence or intentional tampering with evidence. The absence of these files hindered efforts to understand the full extent of the school's failures in addressing the child's behavioral issues.