New Video Shows Aftermath Of 1st-Grader Shooting VA Teacher

NEWPORT NEWS, VA — Newly released police body camera footage shows a 6-year-old boy admitting he took his mother's gun and shouting profanities at officers moments after shooting his first-grade teacher at a Virginia elementary school.

The video, obtained by The Virginian-Pilot and released Tuesday, shows officers responding to Richneck Elementary School in Newport News after the boy shot teacher Abby Zwerner in her classroom on Jan. 6, 2023.

Officers entered a classroom where reading specialist Amy Kovac was holding the boy. She told them the child had admitted possessing a gun, which a deputy subsequently located across the room.

"The gun is there. He just admitted that he had one," Kovac told officers, according to the footage.

• Related: 6-Year-Old's Gun Jammed After Shooting VA Teacher: Report Finds

The boy became increasingly confrontational as officers questioned him, using profanity and making threatening remarks.

"I don't care if you call backup," the child said. "I don't care if I go to jail, b----."

At another point, the boy admitted taking the gun from his mother, according to The Virginian-Pilot's reporting.

Kovac repeatedly attempted to calm the child and correct his language. She also told officers she had warned an assistant principal earlier that day about a potential threat.

"I told the [assistant principal] that there was a threat earlier about it," Kovac said.

Kovac explained that the boy had been attending school on a modified schedule and that it was his first week attending class without his mother accompanying him.

The video also captures the boy's continued verbal outbursts before officers escorted him from the classroom. Kovac later testified that the child punched her during the encounter.

Why The Video Was Released

The footage was introduced as evidence during the criminal trial of former Richneck assistant principal Ebony Parker in May.

The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press subsequently sought to have the video unsealed, arguing that the public had a right to see evidence presented during the proceedings.

The newspapers were granted permission to distribute the footage with the child's face blurred.

The recording offers a new look at the immediate aftermath of a shooting that raised national questions about school safety, access to firearms and whether administrators failed to act on warnings.

Teacher Awarded $10 Million

Zwerner was shot in the hand and chest while teaching her first-grade class. Despite her injuries, she managed to get the other students out of the classroom before seeking help.

The shooting caused severe injuries, including a collapsed lung. Zwerner underwent six surgeries and has not regained full use of her left hand.

In November 2025, a jury awarded Zwerner $10 million in her civil lawsuit against Parker, who was accused of ignoring repeated warnings that the boy had a gun and posed a threat.

• Related: Jury Awards $10M To Former VA Teacher Shot By 6-Year-Old Student

Zwerner originally sought $40 million in damages.

During the trial, Zwerner described believing she had died after being shot.

"I thought I had died. I thought I was either on my way to heaven or in heaven," she testified.

Parker's attorneys argued that the shooting was unforeseeable and that she should not be judged based on information learned afterward.

Parker also faced eight felony child neglect charges stemming from the shooting. However, a Newport News judge dismissed all eight charges in May after hearing the prosecution's evidence.

"The court is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime," Judge Rebecca M. Robinson said at the time.

Warnings Before The Shooting

A special grand jury investigation previously identified serious security failures at Richneck Elementary, including warnings that the child might have brought a gun to school.

The boy's backpack was searched before the shooting, but no weapon was found.

The grand jury also determined that the gun jammed after the boy fired the first shot, preventing him from firing again. Seven additional bullets remained in the weapon.

The child's mother, Deja Taylor, was sentenced to nearly four years in prison on state child neglect and federal firearms charges.

Investigators said the boy retrieved the gun from his mother's purse, which was on top of a dresser.

Zwerner has said she continues to struggle with the physical and emotional consequences of the shooting and does not plan to return to teaching.

• Related: Former VA Principal Cleared Of Charges In 6-Year-Old Shooter Case