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Bodycam video shows moments after 6-year-old shot teacher in Virginia
USA Today • • nation
Key Points:
- Newly released police body camera footage captures a 6-year-old boy cursing at officers moments after shooting and seriously wounding his teacher, Abby Zwerner, at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, in January 2023.
- The video shows the boy, identified as J.T., threatening officers and admitting to stealing the gun from his mother, who had a criminal history related to child neglect and illegal gun purchase.
- Zwerner survived the shooting and later won a $10 million civil lawsuit against the school's assistant principal, Ebony Parker, who was accused of neglect for not acting on prior warnings about the boy but had criminal charges dismissed.
- The footage, initially sealed during Parker's trial, was unsealed with the boy's face blurred after media requests, revealing the challenging circumstances faced by educators and highlighting the boy's troubled background.
- J.T. is currently in the custody of his great-grandfather in Newport News, while the video has sparked discussions about school safety, accountability, and the impact on all involved.
