A former assistant principal at a Virginia elementary school is facing charges of felony child neglect following a tragic incident where a 6-year-old student brought a gun to school and shot his teacher. The grand jury report released detailed the lack of response and missed opportunities that could have prevented the shooting.
The report highlighted that the child was not searched, removed from class, or reported to the police despite multiple warnings about the gun. The former assistant principal, Ebony Parker, was charged with eight counts of felony child neglect, one for each bullet that endangered the students in the classroom.
The report revealed that there were previous disciplinary issues with the student, and there were opportunities to provide more resources or alternative solutions to address his behavior. It also mentioned instances where the assistant principal failed to take action despite receiving reports about the child possibly having a gun.
The incident resulted in serious injuries to the teacher, Abby Zwerner, who was shot by the student. Zwerner underwent multiple surgeries and suffered emotional trauma as a result of the shooting. The students who witnessed the incident are also struggling emotionally, with some requiring therapy to cope with the aftermath.
The grand jury report recommended policy changes, including allowing transfers for students still struggling emotionally and implementing automatic entry systems for law enforcement in schools. The report shed light on the systemic failures that led to the shooting and emphasized the need for better safety measures in schools.
