Abby Zwerner, a former school teacher in Virginia, testified on Thursday that she thought she had died when she was shot in her classroom by her 6-year-old student in 2023.
"I thought I was dying. I thought I had died. I thought I was either on my way to heaven or in heaven, but then it all got black. And so, I then thought I wasn’t going there. And then my next memory is, I see two coworkers around me and I process that I’m hurt and they’re putting pressure on where I’m hurt," Zwerner said, recalling the day a bullet pierced through her hand and chest — where it remains lodged to this day.
The 28-year-old took the stand during the fourth day of a trial for the $40 million lawsuit she filed against the Newport News School Division and former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School, Ebony Parker.
Zwerner and her attorneys claim negligence led to the events that unfolded on Jan. 6, 2023, and accuse Parker of failing to act after several people voiced concerns hours beforehand that the student may have had a weapon at school.
A judge previously dismissed the district’s superintendent and the school principal from the lawsuit, leaving Parker as the only defendant.
Parker's defense team claims the tragedy was unavoidable. She faces a separate criminal trial related to the case in which she is accused of eight counts of felony child neglect, punishable by up to five years in prison if convicted.
The student’s mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges. Her son told authorities he got his mother’s handgun by climbing onto a drawer to reach the top of a dresser, where the firearm was in his mom’s purse, The Associated Press said.
The boy had a history of behavior issues, according to court documents, but was not charged in this case.
"The moment went by very fast," said Zwerner when reflecting on the shooting. "The look on the student's face is a large memory that I have. I do remember. It was like a very blank look, but it wasn’t a blank look at all on his face."
"Is that why you lifted your hand? Did you know what was about to happen?" Zwerner's legal team asked her, to which she responded, "Yes."
After she was shot, Zwerner spent weeks in the hospital, suffered a collapsed lung and required six surgeries on her hand. The doctor who treated her hand demonstrated during the trial that she still lacks full mobility and strength in her left hand.
The bullet remains in her chest as doctors have said it was more dangerous for them to try and remove it.
Parker's defense team questioned the limited abilities of Zwerner's injured hand, asking how she was able to complete cosmetology school since the shooting took place. She was also asked about concerts she attended following the shooting, despite claiming she found it difficult to be in public.
Before Zwerner testified, the jury heard from forensic psychiatrist Dr. Clarence Watson, who treated her following the shooting. He told the court he had diagnosed Zwerner with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), anxiety and depression.
Watson testified that Zwerner said she has suffered suicidal thoughts, has nightmares of being killed and ongoing fears of the shooter following her and coming back to "finish the job."
Watson said, based on records from Zwerner's longtime family physician and current therapists, she had a normal, healthy life up until her father passed away unexpectedly in 2020.
First responders describe an unusual school shooting scene
On Wednesday, shocking police bodycam footage from an officer who responded to Zwerner's classroom after the shooting was shown. The footage, which the Scripps News Group station in Norfolk has chosen not to release, depicts a frenzied, bloody scene, with Zwerner lying on the ground while officers perform life-saving measures.
Thomas Blyth, a retired corporal with the Newport News Sheriff's Office, also responded to the shooting. He testified about how long it took for law enforcement to be let into the school.
"We immediately went to the front door of the school, hit the buzzer, knocked on the doors, couldn't get in. Didn't see anybody moving around, not what we expected to be responding to a situation like this," noted Blyth. "It seemed like an eternity for us. It was probably about a minute of banging on the door til, I think, a janitor or a security person opened the door for us."
Watch: Abby Zwerner's twin says her sister's "light has dimmed" since the shooting
Another unexpected factor, Blyth stated, was the shooter's age: "We were quite taken aback. We didn't expect to see so young of a suspect."
As Blyth testified that he found the gun on the floor, pictures of Zwerner's classroom and the weapon were shown in the courtroom.
The first day of testimony on Tuesday was an emotional one, with witnesses including Zwerner's mother and colleagues who were at Richneck on the day of the shooting.
Watch: Zwerner's mom Julie takes the stand
Amy Kovac, a reading specialist at Richneck, took the stand and described hearing the gunshot coming from Zwerner's classroom, then entering the room and seeing blood on Zwerner's leg.
She said she then walked to the shooter, who was referred to only as "JT" in the court, and attempted to subdue him.
"He was standing there with his legs kind of spread open, arms crossed and cocky, and when I got to him, I didn't say anything," Kovac said. "I took his wrist because I knew he shot with his left hand. I walked to Abby's desk where her phone was. I put him in between my legs, put my arms around him."
The final testimony on Tuesday was delivered by Zwerner's mother, Julie, who told the court her daughter loved teaching and was becoming a great educator before her career was cut short by the bullet that pierced her hand and went into her chest.
Watch: Trauma surgeon describes Zwerner's injuries from the shooting
A key moment on Tuesday was when Dr. Nina Farrish, the director of human resources for Newport News Public Schools, took the stand. She testified that Parker admitted to her two or three days after the shooting that it was reported around 12:20 p.m. that the student had a gun in his backpack. That was more than 90 minutes before the shooting.
The trial kicked off this week with jury selection on Monday, with all testimony thus far being provided by witnesses called to the stand by Zwerner's team. The trial is expected to last no more than eight days.
Any verdict against Parker in the civil case is expected to be paid by the Virginia Risk Sharing Association.
This story was originally published by the Scripps News Group in Norfolk.
