Criminal charges tossed for ex-school official Ebony Parker

Judge Rebecca Robinson on Thursday dismissed all criminal charges against former Richneck Elementary Assistant Principal Ebony Parker. The court struck down eight felony child abuse and endangerment charges against Parker, ending a trial over a 2023 school shooting in which a six-year-old shot and wounded his teacher. The charges were over the risk to the other children in the classroom.

Prosecutors argued during the trial that Parker failed to act on warnings from other school staff members that the student likely had a gun. Parker’s legal team said she wasn’t the only person responsible for the inaction leading up to the shooting. In court Thursday, Judge Robinson stated that the evidence presented against Parker didn’t amount to a crime under Virginia law.

What happened to the teacher who was shot? Abigail Zwerner survived the shooting, though permanent damage was done to her hand, and a bullet has remained lodged in her chest. She testified about her experience of the shooting during Parker’s trial. A jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in a civil case against Parker last year.

Dig deeper: Read Johanna Huebscher’s report on Zwerner’s testimony in a prior lawsuit.