NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The criminal trial for Ebony Parker, the former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School who was found grossly negligent in a lawsuit filed by a teacher shot by a student back in 2023, began Monday.
Parker faces eight felony counts of child neglect — one for each bullet in the gun a 6-year-old student used to shoot his teacher, Abby Zwerner, in January 2023. Prosecutors allege Parker failed to take action before the shooting occurred.
Watch Live: Day 1 of the Ebony Parker Richneck shooting trial
**Player will show color bars when the court is in recess**
Day 1 recap
The morning session began with pretrial motions from the defense and prosecution discussing the terms of the trial.
Attorneys for Parker began by asking for a continuance to review new body camera video that they recently became aware, but the judge denied the motion.
The jury pool was made up of 84 prospective jurors, who were asked a series of questions related to the case and their ability to remain impartial.
Parker pleaded not guilty to all charges.
By the end of the day, 14 jurors were selected. Two will serve as alternates.
Opening statements in the case are expected Tuesday morning.
Background
Last fall, a jury found Parker liable for gross negligence in a civil trial and awarded Zwerner $10 million. Now Parker will face a jury again, this time in her criminal case.
Parker did not testify in her civil trial and is not required to testify in the criminal case. Zwerner did testify in the civil trial and could be called to the stand again. During that trial, she described the moments after the shooting.
"I thought I had died I thought I was either on my way to heaven or in heaven," Zwerner said.
Watch: True Crime 757 podcast previews the Ebony Parker trial
Separately, the boy's mother pleaded guilty in connection with how the child was able to access the gun and is currently serving her prison sentence.
The trial is slated to last four days but could run longer if needed.
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