This week, documents were unsealed that reveal more about a shocking shooting that happened earlier this year in a Newport News, Va., elementary school classroom.
According to WTKR, the documents reveal that the 6-year-old shooter told a reading specialist “I shot that b**** dead,” regarding his 25-year-old teacher, Abigail Zwerner. While Zwerner was seriously injured in the shooting, she did not die.
She was found with gunshot wounds to her left hand and upper torso.
Shortly after the Jan. 6 shooting, Audacy reported on a claim from Zwerner’s legal team that administrators at Richneck Elementary School were “paralyzed by apathy,” even after the child presented warning signs. Concerned teachers even told administrators that the child claimed to have a gun, said the report.
“According to the search warrant, one of those staff members, Amy Kovac, a reading specialist at the school, heard from two students on the day of the shooting who said the 6-year-old had a gun in his book bag,” said WTKR. “The warrant also said Kovac and a school administrator searched the student’s backpack when the class [went] to recess, but they did not find a gun.”
However, Kovac told investigators that she heard the gunshot ring out in Zwerner’s classroom. She then saw children run out of the class, followed by Zwerner, who was bleeding.
After Zwerner was transported to a hospital, she told investigators that she separated her students for a reading assignment after recess. While she was doing so, she saw the student pull out a gun.
Kovac found the 6-year-old suspect “standing by his desk with a gun on the floor next to him,” WTKR reported. She held them in place until authorities arrived. That’s when he admitted to her that he shot Zwerner.
“I did it,” he said, according to the report. “I got my mom’s gun last night.”
Even before that day, there had been a number of disciplinary incidents related to the boy, Zwerner told investigators. These included physical violence as well as threats of violence.
“Several days after the shooting, detectives interviewed a retired Newport News elementary school teacher who had been assigned to Richneck,” said WTKR. “According to the details of the warrant, the retired teacher said she was choked in Sept. 2021 by the same student who reportedly shot Zwerner.”
“Newport News Public Schools is unable to comment on this matter in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act,” said a statement the district provided to WTKR.
The boy has not been charged in the shooting. His mother, Deja Taylor, is facing charges (felony child neglect and a misdemeanor count of leaving a firearm in a way that could endanger a child, as well as felony gun charges) related to the case. Her lawyer, James Ellenson said she hopes to work out a plea deal as she faced mental health issues related to an ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.
“Taylor has already pleaded guilty to being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm,” said WTKR. “She'll appear in court for those charges on Oct. 18.”
Related
Related
