On January 6, 2023, at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, a six‑year‑old boy fired a handgun at his 25‑year‑old teacher, Abby Zwerner. The gun jammed before a second shot could be fired, and the child was restrained. Zwerner survived the attack.
Police body‑camera footage, now unsealed, shows the child—blurred to protect his identity—yelling profanity at officers and striking a teacher who was holding him. The teacher, Amy Kovac, had been on a modified schedule and was the first to respond after hearing a gunshot. She found Zwerner wounded and covered in blood. The boy repeatedly taunted the officers, stating he did not care about backup or jail, and struck Kovac, knocking off her glasses.
Investigators determined the weapon belonged to the boy’s mother, Deja Taylor, who was later sentenced to nearly four years in prison on state and federal charges related to the shooting. The incident led to a lawsuit in which Zwerner obtained a $10 million judgment against the former assistant principal of Richneck Elementary, who allegedly knew the boy had a gun the day before the attack.
After the shooting, the boy, identified as JT to protect his identity, was placed in the custody of his great‑grandfather in Newport News.
