Judge Dismisses Charges Against Virginia Assistant Principal Over 2023 Classroom Shooting
A judge dismissed eight felony counts against Ebony Parker related to a January 2023 shooting that wounded teacher Abby Zwerner.
World News GroupCriminal charges tossed for ex-school official Ebony Parker
The GuardianVirginia judge dismisses charges against assistant principal in teacher shooting case
BBC NewsCharges dismissed against official at school where six-year-old shot teacher
Associated PressJudge dismisses charges against ex-administrator accused after student shot teacher
Overview
A Virginia judge on Thursday dismissed all eight felony counts against former Richneck Elementary assistant principal Ebony Parker, ending the criminal trial over the January 2023 classroom shooting.
The dismissal follows a January 2023 incident in Newport News when a six-year-old student fired a single shot that wounded first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner, who required multiple surgeries and still has a bullet lodged in her chest.
Prosecutors said Parker ignored repeated staff warnings that the student might have a gun, while her defense argued her actions did not constitute a crime and welcomed the judge's dismissal.
A jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in a civil trial last November, and prosecutors said each of the eight counts Parker faced could have carried up to five years in prison.
Hampton commonwealth's attorney Anton A. Bell said his office "remains committed to pursuing justice," and the court's ruling concluded the criminal case against Parker.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present the coverage neutrally, focusing on factual reporting of the judge’s dismissal, legal reasoning and case history. They balance perspectives by including the judge’s ruling, the victim’s family statement calling for accountability, the defense’s opening argument, and prior related convictions and civil awards, avoiding loaded editorial language.