NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The teacher who was shot at a Newport News elementary school by her first-grade student in January spoke out in court about the shooting on Wednesday.
Abby Zwerner, who was teaching at Richneck Elementary School at the time of the shooting on Jan. 6, made her statement during a sentencing hearing for the child's mother, Deja Taylor.
In her statement, Zwerner said the shooting left her with broken bones in her left hand and ribs, as well as a collapsed left lung and traces of bullet fragments in her left hand and upper chest.
"When this happened and emergency responders worked to keep me alive, I was not sure whether it would be my final moment on earth," Zwerner said. "I’ve undergone five surgeries, and regular, intensive physical therapy appointments to restore motion in my hand."
She added that the health of her hand has regressed recently and she's unsure if it will ever return to normal.
Zwerner went on to describe how the shooting has affected her everyday life, saying her injuries have limited her ability to complete simple tasks and that she deals with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
"My life and once cherished career have been completely turned upside down," Zwerner said. "I feel as if I have lost my purpose."
Taylor was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to using marijuana while owning a gun, as well as lying about her drug use on a federal form when she bought the gun.
Following the shooting of Zwerner, investigators later found nearly an ounce of marijuana in Taylor's bedroom and evidence of frequent drug use in her text messages and paraphernalia.
The federal charges against Taylor come at a time when marijuana is legal in many states, including Virginia. However, the judge said in court this case is not about the use of marijuana while owning a handgun, but rather about how a series of reckless decisions resulted in the tragedy of the Richneck Elementary School shooting.
"This permanent damage should never have been allowed to happen to me and would not have happened if not for the defendant’s actions or lack thereof," Zwerner said.
Read the full statement below or by clicking here: