Jury awards $10M to former VA teacher shot by 6-year-old student

A jury on Thursday awarded $10 million to former Virginia teacher Abigail Zwerner after she was shot by a 6-year-old student.

The jurors found that a former assistant principal ignored warning signs that the boy brought a gun to school, an act of gross negligence that led to the avoidable shooting of Zwerner, the child's first-grade teacher, NBC News reported.

The jury of three men and four women sided with Zwerner, awarding her $10 million in damages stemming from her wounding on Jan. 6, 2023, at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News.

“We the jury on the issues joined find in favor of plaintiff, Abigail Zwerner, and assess her damages at $10 million and award interest beginning on June 1, 2024” the court clerk read.

The jury spent a total of six hours deliberating between Wednesday and Thursday.

According to Zwerner's lawsuit, she was shot in the hand and chest by the boy, who could've been stopped by assistant principal Ebony Parker.

Two teachers testified that they informed Parker about students telling them that the boy had a gun in his backpack. However, the weapon wasn't taken from him until he shot Zwerner.

Zwerner's attorney, Kevin Biniazan, told jurors on Wednesday that there were clear school guidelines that called for Parker to take action once she was informed about a possible threat.

"What does that mean? That means you can’t stick your head in the sand," Biniazan said. "You cannot stick your head in the sand and then come into court and say, 'I didn’t have the information when it was your job to find it.'"

Parker's lawyer, Sandra Douglas, argued that her client’s perceived lack of action wasn't gross negligence.

"Dr. Parker did not have a legal duty to protect Miss Zwerner," Douglas said. "She did not volunteer to protect Miss Zwerner."

In a separate case that should start later this month, Parker is facing criminal charges of felony child abuse and neglect for her alleged indifference.