Qualla: Shooting of Abby Zwerner

Shooting of Abby Zwerner: Introduction

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

By the time the bullet went through Abby Zwerner's left hand and into her chest, three different teachers at Richneck Elementary School had already told administrators that a six-year-old boy in her first-grade classroom had a gun in his backpack. Zwerner had reported it at 11:15 that morning. A second teacher reported it at 12:30 after searching the boy's bag. A third reported it just before 1:00 p.m., warning that the boy had shown another child the gun at recess and threatened to shoot anyone who told. One teacher was told to wait it out because the school day was almost over. Another was denied permission to search the student. About an hour before she was shot, Zwerner texted a loved one that the boy had a gun and that the administration was not helping. At 2:00 p.m. on January 6, 2023, the boy raised the 9mm Taurus pistol he had carried in his backpack from home.

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Shooting of Abby Zwerner: The Day

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Richneck Elementary School in Newport News serves about 550 students. The school had metal detectors at the time of the shooting; they were used randomly. The boy who shot Abby Zwerner was six years old. The gun was a 9mm Taurus semi-automatic pistol legally purchased and owned b...

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Shooting of Abby Zwerner: Abby Zwerner

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Around 2:00 p.m., during a routine lesson, the boy pointed the gun at Zwerner. She reached for it. He fired. The bullet passed through her left hand, ruptured multiple bones, and lodged in her chest. What Zwerner did next is what makes her story matter beyond the headlines: she g...

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Shooting of Abby Zwerner: The Child

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Because of his age - six years old - the child shooter's identity has not been publicly revealed. He was arrested and remained in a healthcare facility. The shooting prompted a difficult set of conversations about legal culpability when the perpetrator is too young to fully under...

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Shooting of Abby Zwerner: The Mother and the Federal Charges

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Deja Taylor - the boy's mother and the gun's legal owner - was charged in federal court in June 2023 with making a false statement while buying a firearm and unlawful use of a controlled substance (marijuana) while in possession of a handgun. The maximum penalty was 25 years. As ...

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Shooting of Abby Zwerner: The Civil Suit and the Verdict

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Zwerner filed a $40 million civil lawsuit against the Newport News school district and former assistant principal Ebony Parker in April 2023. The district moved to dismiss, arguing that her injuries fell under the Virginia Workers' Compensation Act. The case proceeded. The trial ...

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