Teacher shot by 6-year-old testifies in $40M lawsuit against school official

A Virginia first-grade teacher shot by her 6-year-old student took the stand Thursday in her $40 million civil trial against former assistant principal Ebony Parker.

(CNN)- A Virginia first-grade teacher shot by her 6-year-old student took the stand Thursday in her $40 million civil trial against former assistant principal Ebony Parker, accused of failing to act on multiple warnings before the attack.

Attorneys for Abby Zwerner called an expert witness on school administration who testified that Parker had been warned at least four times that the boy had a gun and was behaving erratically.

Ann Shufflebarger, an expert on school administration, said, “Take action, get the kid secured, search, call law enforcement, alert the principal — there are many things that needed to be done and none of those were done at that time.”

The defense argued that teachers should have taken the lead, calling them “the first responders.”

Zwerner was shot in January 2023, suffering wounds to her chest and hand. During testimony, jurors saw body camera footage and police photos entered into evidence.

First responder: “What’s your name?”
Abby Zwerner: “Abby Zwerner.”
Zwerner told the court, “I thought I had died.”

When asked what she remembered before being shot, she said, “The look on the student’s face is the large memory that I have.”

A psychiatrist for the plaintiff, Dr. Clarence Watson, testified that Zwerner continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, saying, “She has everyday reminders, physical scars, reminding her of that very day.”

The case could set a legal precedent in determining whether school administrators can be held civilly responsible for failing to prevent school shootings.