NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Court documents reveal more details on how the Richneck Elementary School shooting on Jan. 6 unfolded, and what the child who shot his teacher allegedly said.
The shooting left first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner with severe injuries. She has since filed a $40 million lawsuit against Newport News Public Schools, alleging officials of ignoring several warnings about the student leading up to the shooting.
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13News Now obtained the documents — a probable cause statement and an affidavit for a search warrant — from Newport News Circuit Court Tuesday morning.
On Jan. 6 around 2 p.m., Newport News dispatchers got a report of a shooting in one of the school's classrooms. Just four minutes later, Newport News deputies and police officers got there and saw that a school employee had restrained the shooter, who was 6 years old at the time.
Officers found a loaded 9mm gun on the floor of the classroom and collected a 9mm cartridge casing on the floor close to the gun, according to the documents. They also found a book bag that belonged to the child in the classroom.
Officers also found Zwerner in the school office with a gunshot wound to her left hand and upper torso. Staff members were giving her first aid until officers and medics could get there.
Detectives interviewed the school employee who restrained the child, who said he made a profane statement admitting that he shot his teacher. When the employee was restraining the child, he allegedly said, "I shot that b**** dead," "I did it," and "I got my mom's gun last night."
The employee told detectives that before the shooting, two students told her that the child had a gun in his book bag. During recess, the employee and a school administrator searched the book bag but didn't find a gun.
After recess, the employee was walking by Zwerner's classroom when she heard a gunshot. Several children ran out, followed by Zwerner, who was seen bleeding from her hand and upper torso.
The employee went into the classroom and saw the child standing by his desk, along with the firearm on the floor. She then grabbed and held him in place until the police got there.
During an interview at the hospital, Zwerner told detectives that she walked with her class back to the classroom after recess and broke them up into reading groups.
Zwerner saw that the child was standing by his desk when he pulled a gun out of his jacket pocket, pointing it at her, the documents said.
"What are you doing with that?" Zwerner asked the child, who then fired one shot.
After the shooting, Zwerner got medical attention in the school office and was taken to a hospital soon after.
During an interview at police headquarters, the child's mother, Deja Taylor, claimed she kept her gun in two places, either her purse with a trigger lock in place or in a lock box.
Taylor told police she believes the gun was in her purse with a trigger lock, on top of her bedroom dresser, on the morning of the shooting. She added that the key for the gunlock was kept under her mattress.
The court documents state that Zwerner told police there were several prior disciplinary incidents involving the child reported to the school's administration, several of which involved physical violence or threats of violence.
According to Zwerner, the school protocol was to report the incidents into a reporting system named Synergy, which was described as "an educational platform that contains specific student records."
Detectives interviewed a retired Newport News teacher, who was the child's kindergarten teacher at Richneck and reported an incident to administrators on Sept. 27, 2021.
In the report, the teacher said the child "walked behind her while she was sitting in her chair and placed both of his arms around her neck pulling down, choking her to the point she could not breathe."
A teacher assistant witnessed the choking and "had to forcibly remove" the child from the classroom.
Newport News detectives wrote in the search warrant that they wanted to review this incident report, but had access to limited school records of the boy, and said they believe there are "possibly others not readily provided by Newport News Public Schools."
In response to this statement, Newport News Public Schools released the following statement:
"Since the tragedy at Richneck Elementary School in January, Newport News Public Schools has worked cooperatively with the Newport News Police Department and other authorities in support of the investigation. While the school division cannot comment on legal actions, NNPS remains committed to ensuring the well-being and care of all students and staff."
Months after the shooting, Taylor was criminally indicted of felony child neglect and a misdemeanor charge of endangering a child by reckless storage of a firearm. She was also federally charged with illegally obtaining and possessing a firearm and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, to which she pled guilty.
The shooting also led to a shakeup within Newport News Public Schools, most notably the firing of Superintendent Dr. George Parker. Richneck Principal Briana Foster-Newton was reassigned and Assistant Principal Ebony Parker resigned.
In a statement to 13News Now responding to the obtained court documents, Taylor's attorney James Ellenson wrote: “The child obviously was very troubled and the healing process will take time.”
He told ABC News: "The child has had extreme emotional issues for some time and he is doing better every day thanks to therapy, his grandparents' support and the amazing professionals working with him on his recovery."
Zwerner's attorneys said they do not have a comment.