UMVA has learned that a former first‑grade teacher in Virginia bravely testified Monday, revealing a chilling tableau of a 6‑year‑old who pulled a gun in a classroom.
Abby Zwerner, once a teacher at Richneck Elementary, described the terrifying moment a boy named “J.T.” brandished a 9‑mm handgun, firing into her left hand and chest while she stood in the midst of a lesson.
She recalled the boy’s escalating aggression months before the attack, noting how he slammed her cellphone to the floor after a simple instruction and later stared menacingly at a security officer during lunch.
On the fateful day, Zwerner sensed something was wrong the instant she entered the room, and her intuition proved deadly accurate when she saw a loaded gun held by the tiny student.
She told the jury that she had already spoken to assistant principal Ebony Parker about the boy’s erratic behavior, but her concerns were dismissed, leaving the classroom vulnerable to tragedy.
The trial now hinges on Parker’s alleged failure to act on repeated warnings that a child had a firearm in his backpack, a negligence that prosecutors say cost the school community a teacher’s life.
In a civil proceeding last year, a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million for the injuries and trauma sustained, labeling Parker’s conduct as grossly negligent.
Zwerner’s testimony paints a stark picture of a school system that failed to protect one of its youngest students, leaving a trail of bullet fragments still lodged in her body after multiple surgeries.
She described feeling as if she were slipping into an afterlife, her vision fading to black as the gunshot pierced her chest, a moment she insists she never anticipated.
The 6‑year‑old faces no criminal charges due to his age, while his mother, Deja Taylor, received a prison sentence for neglecting to secure the handgun that enabled the attack.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the courtroom drama continues, with Parker pleading not guilty as the community grapples with the stark reality that a child’s weapon brought a teacher’s life to an abrupt, bloody halt.
