NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The first two Newport News sheriff's deputies to arrive at Richneck Elementary School on January 6, 2023, are opening up about that day for the first time.
This week, members of a special grand jury announced eight indictments of felony child abuse against the school's former assistant principal, Ebony Parker.
The report also revealed "security risks" at the building, including a front door buzz-in system broken for weeks prior to the shooting.
In that 30-page report, the 11 citizens who made up the grand jury call the Newport News sheriff deputies' and police response prompt, efficient, and admirable.
The report identifies Cpl. T. Blyth and Master Deputy A. Briggs with Newport News Sheriff's Office as the first responding law enforcement officers.
While they're thankful for the praise, in an exclusive interview with 13News Now, the deputies described their actions as natural instinct and following training.
Briggs said he was in the area serving civil papers in the northern section of the city. Blyth was also nearby.
Blyth recalled his immediate reaction upon hearing what was first described as an "active shooter" at Richneck Elementary School: "Initially disbelief, and then time to go to work."
The duo's training kicked into high gear. Both rushed over to the school, where it would be later determined a 6-year-old student intentionally shot his first-grade teacher, Abby Zwerner.
As detailed in the special grand jury's report, a broken front door buzz-in system stopped Blyth and Briggs from entering the school. They said they were held up for maybe 30 to 40 seconds.
"But it felt like an eternity," Blyth said. "We started all of us in our minds were going over options on how we were going to get through there."
Two Newport News police officers arrived within one minute after the deputies did, they recounted. Both deputies described not hearing any screaming, yelling or gunfire upon their arrival.
"There was nobody there in the foyer to open the foyer for us," Blyth said. "For what seemed like a very long time, we were banging on the door, talking on the intercom, trying to get somebody to open the door for us."
"If there were multiple more shots going off [inside the building], we would've busted the glass immediately," Briggs stated.
For a moment, the law enforcement officers considered using their firearms to entire the school.
Briggs added: "We were thinking about shooting out the glass, try to open the door, something. But at the time, there were no more shots going on. Thankfully, there was a lady walking down the hall and she could open the door for us."
After a custodian let them in, the deputies said their first priority was finding the threat and stopping it.
Blyth remembered going into Zwerner's first-grade classroom and finding another school employee bear-hugging the 6-year-old shooter to grab control of him. The corporal said the child appeared angry, violent, combative and used profane language.
"The other officers came in right behind me, we secured the weapon," Blyth said.
The weapon — a handgun — had jammed after first shot went off, the special grand jury report revealed.
"The ejecting shell can get caught up in the slide, and that's what happened that jammed this gun, so there was only one round fired," Blyth stated.
That single round struck Zwerner through her hand and chest.
While a team secured the shooter, Briggs said he went back to the front office to help the injured teacher.
The grand jury report said school division leaders worked toward "several positive changes" after the shooting, including metal detectors, clear backpacks, and two full-time school resource officers at Richneck.
In addition to the 6-year-old's mother, Deja Taylor, former Assistant Principal Ebony Parker was pressed with criminal charges following the shooting.
The special grand jury accuses Parker of failing to act after being warned multiple times about the boy on January 6, 2023.