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- [00:03]
Katie Ring
Hi Crime House community. It's Katie looking for another Crime House original podcast to add to your rotation. You will love Clues with Morgan Abshur and Kaylin Moore. Every Wednesday, Morgan and Kaylin dig into the world's most notorious crimes, clue by clue. From serial killers to shocking murders. They follow the trail of clues, break down the evidence and debate the theories. It's like hanging out with your smart and true crime obsessed friends. Listen to clues on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts. This is Crime House. Being a teacher was her dream job. But for Abby Zwerner, that dream turned into a nightmare when a six year old student pulled out a gun and shot her during class. It's a story that shocked the nation and exposed just how many people failed to act before it was too late. Abby was recently awarded $10 million in a civil suit, but there's also a criminal trial beginning this month and there are lingering questions about a possible cover up. Let's get into it. Former teacher Abby Zwerner remembering the moment her life changed forever when her 6 year old's pulled out a gun and fired at her. Abby Zwerner survived a gunshot, six surgeries, and a bullet still lodged near her heart. The big moment for me that stays in my head, you know, more so than some other moments is the look on the student's face when he pulled out the firearm. It's a haunting look. Welcome to Night Watch. I'm your host, Kate Katie Ring. At Night Watch, we follow the cases making headlines now where justice is still unfolding. If you enjoy the episode following us makes a world of a difference. As a disclaimer, this episode discusses active criminal cases and breaking news. The information we share is based on what's publicly available at the time of recording and may change as new evidence comes to light. We aim to inform, not to decide guilt or innocence. So everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. When it comes to gifting, everyone on your list deserves something special. Luckily, Marshall's buyers travel far and wide, hustling for great deals and amazing gifts so you don't have to. That means your mom gets that cashmere sweater, your best friend, that Italian leather bag. Your co workers unwrap their favorite beauty brands and your nephews the coolest new toys. Go ahead. A price is this good. You can grab something for yourself too. Marshall's. We get the deals. You gift the good stuff. Shop now@marshalls.com or find a store near you. Our case Tonight is about 28 year old Abby Swerner, a first grade teacher who was shot by one of her own students, a six year old boy identified as J.T. the boy had stolen the gun from his mother who kept it loaded in her purse. And throughout the day he told several classmates he had brought it to school. Those classmates told a few teachers who tried to get the vice principal, Dr. Ebony Parker, to do something. But Dr. Parker just brushed off everyone's concerns and at approximately 2pm JT shot Abby. And I must say, while I was watching the testimony in court about this incident, I was absolutely flabbergasted by the lack of urgency and action in this case. But fortunately, Abby survived. Afterwards, she took Dr. Parker to civil court on November 6, 2025, and Abby was awarded $10 million in damages. Now Dr. Parker is gearing up for a criminal trial in December where she'll be tried on eight counts of felony child neglect. Let's get into it. In the fall of 2022, 25 year old Abby Zwerner began her third year of teaching at Rich Neck Elementary School in Newport News, a large coastal city in Virginia. Abby loved teaching and said it had always been her dream. Her mother had been a teacher as well, and Abby followed in her footsteps. When she was in college, Abby joined an after school tutoring program. Because she was so excited to work with kids and and help them learn. She often stayed up late lesson planning and put a lot of thought into the way her classroom was organized and decorated. But not everyone at the school cared as much as Abby did, namely the administration. In recent years, school leaders had become careless about safety protocols. They were supposed to perform mandatory lockdown drills, but they hadn't done one in two years. Not to mention, the school's buzzer system had been broken for weeks, which meant parents had to knock and hope someone could hear them. This wasn't a huge issue for most people, but it was for Abby. That year she had a particularly difficult student who had to be taken out of school on a regular basis. The boy, JT Was six years old and he had serious academic and behavioral issues. For starters, he was behind academically, especially in reading, and often got frustrated. In the winter of 2022, he was assigned to work with a reading specialist named Amy Kovac. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. JT Was known to swear at teachers and even attack them, kicking, spitting, and once trying to strangle a teacher. His aggressive behavior extended to his classmates as well. On one occasion, he had groped a girl who had fallen on the playground on another, he chased students around with a belt, trying to hit them. After this, JT had to be accompanied by a parent at school every day. It was a drastic measure and even then it wasn't clear if it would help because his issues may have stemmed from his home life. His mother, 26 year old Deja Taylor, was a habitual marijuana user and didn't always keep a close eye on JT. The 6 year old had even told people at school he sometimes smoked his mom's weed. And that wasn't the only thing he got into. Twice he rifled through her purse and stole her car keys. Both times he got into the car. Once he locked himself inside and police had to get involved with and break the window to get him out. The other time he started actually driving and he crashed into parked cars. Fortunately, no one was hurt. JT's parents weren't married, but they were together and things were rocky. During the holiday season of 2022, that turbulence escalated when Deja found reason to believe JT's dad was cheating. She confronted the dad and his alleged mistress and shot at them. Thankfully, she missed. But JT's school had no idea this happened. Before winter break, administrators decided JT's behavior had improved enough that he no longer needed to be accompanied by a parent. Unfortunately, after the break, his behavior escalated again. On January 4, 2023, he grabbed Abby's cell phone and slammed it into the floor, breaking it. He responded to being disciplined by calling her the B word. For this, he was given a one day suspension. But on January 6, the day he came back, JT's behavior reached new extremes. Before leaving the house, he climbed on top of his mother's dresser, reached into her purse and pulled out her loaded 9 millimeter handgun and brought it to school. I feel like it's so hard to decide on the perfect gift for each of my family members and I always find myself getting a last minute gift. If you're the same way, you've got to check out aura frames. My sister got our whole family aura frames for Christmas last year and it has been such an amazing gift. The frame has a function where everyone can upload photos to a shared album and it will show up on everyone's frame in the rotation of pictures. And since I'm a brand new auntie, it has been fun to be able to watch my nephew and niece grow up. I was just laughing with my sister in law when a picture of my nephew as a newborn came up and she said it's funny because looking back on it. We thought he was so cute at the time but now he looks like an alien. You can also preload photos before it ships so they open it already filled with memories and keep adding new ones anytime from anywhere for a limited time. Save on the perfect gift by visiting auraframes.com to get $35 off Aura's best selling Carver Matte frames named number one by Wirecutter by using promo code Crimehouse at checkout. That's a U R A frames.com promo code crimehouse. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast, so order yours now to get it in time for the holidays. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout. Terms and conditions apply. On January 6, JT returned to school after a one day suspension. He was upset that he kept getting into trouble, so he snuck his mother's handgun into the building. The morning started off okay. JT's reading specialist Amy Kovac was thought he was making progress, but as the day went on, his teacher Abby Zwerner noticed his aggressive side was emerging again. He threatened a kindergartner and stared down a security guard in an unnerving way. So finally, around 11:20am, Abby went to the assistant principal's office to ask the AP Dr. Ebony Parker for help. She was known for being dismissive when teachers came to her with problems, and that morning was no different. She told Dr. Parker about JT's actions that day, but Dr. Parker literally gave her the silent treatment and wouldn't even look up from her computer to make eye contact. Ms. Kovac happened to be in the office at that time, but Dr. Parker still refused to do anything and once Abby gave up and finally left, she then told Ms. Kovac that she could go and tell Abby that Abby could call JT's mother to pick him up. But when Ms. Kovach went to deliver the message to Abby at about 11:45am, two girls stopped her in the hallway. They were visibly upset and when Ms. Kovach asked them what was wrong, they said that JT had brought a gun to school. Concerned, Ms. Kovach headed into the classroom and walked over to JT's desk where he was curled up in his seat. She asked him if he was okay and he said he was upset because someone was picking on one of his friends. Ms. Kovach got right down to business though and told JT that she heard he had a gun. She asked to look in his backpack, but JT said quote no one is getting that bag. Ms. Kovach said that she didn't want to push his buttons. So instead of pressing the matter, she sat next to him for the rest of the lesson. One thing that is crazy to me is that we're talking about a six year old kid. If someone told me he had a gun in his backpack, I'm not asking for permission to search it. I am snatching that bag because people's lives are on the line. When Abby finished her lesson and started lining her students up for recess around 12:30pm, Ms. Kovach went back to Dr. Parker's office. She told her what she heard about the gun, but Dr. Parker simply told her to focus on her own job and that she'd get around to searching JT's back herself eventually. At this point, it had been over an hour since Abby first told Dr. Parker she was worried about JT. Since Dr. Parker wouldn't help, Ms. Kovach went back to Abby's classroom to speak with her while the kids were at recess. Abby, she filled her in on everything and then looked inside JT's backpack. But there was no gun, only school supplies. However, Abby did say that she saw JT take something out of his backpack and put it in his jacket pocket. During recess, Abby and Ms. Kovach went out to check on JT and they spotted him behind a rock wall showing something to another student. At that point, Ms. Kovach went back to Dr. Parker's office to ask for permission to search JT's person, but Dr. Parker said no again. Another teacher named Jennifer west heard what happened and ended up getting involved as well. When recess was over at 1, Jennifer pulled aside the boy that had been talking to JT and asked him what JT showed him. The boy immediately pulled, burst into tears, and told her that JT showed him the gun. Not only that, but JT threatened to kill him if he told anyone. Jennifer immediately phoned the admin office. A music teacher named John Sims picked up and Jennifer told him what was going on. John then told Dr. Parker, who said that someone had already searched JT's backpack. So then Jennifer called the guidance counselor, Ronzo Rawls, to her room to help console the crying boy. At the same time, Jennifer brought Ronzo up to speed. After that, both Ronzo and John, the music teacher, went back to Dr. Parker's office to ask again if JT had been searched yet. Dr. Parker simply said that JT's mother was on the way and that they'd deal with it when she got there. But more time passed and JT's mother didn't ever show up. Meanwhile, Abby did her best to conduct class as usual while trying to not create any panic. Little did she know danger was right around the corner, because just before 2pm, JT stood up from his seat unprovoked, pulled out a gun and fired at her. The bullet tore through Abby's left hand and hit her chest, just barely missing her heart. Despite just being shot, Abby rushed the other students out of the classroom to safety. Ralonzo, Rawls and Ms. Kovach heard the shot and raced to the room. In her testimony, Ms. Kovach said, I felt like I had a bubble of God around me and I walked straight to him. He was sitting there with his legs kind of spread open, his arms crossed like cocky. She then subdued the boy and called 91 1. After hearing the shot, Rolando got on the walkie talkie, but no one was answering. And even though he wasn't supposed to leave his post if no one answered, he ran towards the classroom and stood over the weapon in an effort to preserve the scene. Meanwhile, Abby stumbled into the lobby outside of the office of the school's principal, Brianna Foster Newton, who had locked herself in with two students. But another student was in the lobby with her grandmother, and when the woman saw Abby stumble in, she rushed to her aid and applied pressure to her wound. Finally, at 2:04pm, first responders arrived, but because of the broken buzzer, they couldn't get in until someone finally noticed and let them in. Once JT saw them, he punched Ms. Kovach in the face and escaped from her hold. Then he shouted that he shot his teacher before officers restrained him again. Police were shocked at just how young JT was. Meanwhile, paramedics arrived on the scene and Abby was barely conscious. She thought she was dying, but they quickly brought her to the hospital, and while one of her lungs had collapsed, Abby was stabilized. From there. Doctors found a bullet fragment just 2 cm from her aorta and decided it was the safest option to leave it there. Abby remained in the hospital for nearly two weeks and underwent six surgeries. Eventually, doctors told her that her left hand would never be fully functional again. But the most important thing was that she was still alive. When the news broke about the shooting, people were shocked and the fallout was swift. And by 2025, authorities made even more shocking revelations. Foreign.
- [17:22]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
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- [18:37]
Katie Ring
Tis the season to cozy up with all your favorite holiday movies and shows. You coming where to the North Pole, of course. Like a very Jonas Christmas movie and Home Alone on Disney.
- [18:49]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
Should I burn down the joy? I don't think so.
- [18:51]
Katie Ring
Then snuggle up with the Polar Express at National Lampoon's Christmas vacation. With Hulu on Disney, I think we're all in for a very big Christmas treat this season. There's something for everyone with Hulu on Disney Bundle. Subscription required terms apply. Visit disneyplus.comhulu for details. On January 6, 2023, Abby Zwerner 6 year old student JT shot her in their classroom. Fortunately, Abby survived, but the fallout from the incident was only just beginning. The school superintendent was voted out of his position, Principal Foster Newton was reassigned elsewhere in the district and Dr. Parker resigned. Then, when Abby was recovered enough to think clearly, she also decided to resign. From there, Rickneck elementary remained closed for a couple of weeks while renovations were done. It had been an open concept floor plan before, which meant not all of the classrooms had doors, but now they did. Plus Abby's old classroom was repainted and redecorated so that the students could feel like they were getting a fresh start. Like a single layer of fresh paint is going to erase all of the trauma those poor kids went through because of how incapable the leadership of the school was with dealing with a situation like this. I can't believe they let a 6 year old keep his backpack when someone said that there was a gun in it. When the school reopened on January 30, 2023, parents were encouraged to walk their kids to class so they'd feel safe. And they made sure to have a therapy dog in every first grade classroom. @ the same time, in order to get to their classrooms, everyone had to walk through the newly installed metal detectors at the entrances. Then, by the spring of 2023, authorities were finally piecing together who to hold responsible. They began with JT's mom, Dejah Taylor, who was charged with being an unlawful user of marijuana in possession of a firearm, as well as for lying on a federal background check from when she bought the gun seven months before. Dejah immediately surrendered herself to the police and pleaded guilty. Before heading to court that summer, Deja had also been charged with misdemeanor child endangerment by reckless storage of a firearm, but that charge was dropped. At the trial, Abby spoke about the impact the shooting had on her. She said, quote, my life and once cherished career have been completely turned upside down. I feel as if I have lost my purpose. I loved children and now am scared to have a job involving them. Because Deja is young and because she cooperated, the judge handed down a relatively light sentence. On November 15, 2023, Deja received a 21 month jail sentence. However, she still had more legal troubles ahead because on December 15, she was also found guilty of felony child neglect and sentenced two years in prison, bringing her sentence up to nearly four years with two years of probation after afterward, JT went on to live with his great grandfather, Calvin Taylor. And apparently once JT had a healthier environment, his behavior completely changed. His teachers at his new school said he is thriving. Unfortunately, the same couldn't exactly be said for Abby. Weeks later, on the one year anniversary of the shooting, Abby told reporters that she missed her students, that she thought about her class often and hoped the kids were doing okay and enjoying school. She also talked about suffering from PTSD and anxiety because of what she'd experienced. Abby's legal team was pursuing a civil case against the school district for $40 million in damages. The district tried to put a stop to this by saying it was a workers compensation injury, which Abby found offensive to her. That implied that getting shot is a normal and expected risk of teaching. This appeal was tabled though, and in the meantime, Abby began pursuing a civil case against Dr. Parker. Lawyers had considered suing Principal Foster Newton and the superintendent as well, but decided against it being a civil trial. The goal was to determine whether Dr. Parker was grossly negligent in and if that directly led to Abby's injuries. The trial began on October 28, 2025. On the stand, Abby again described her PTSD and debilitating hand injury. Abby's family, friends and psychiatrists also testified on her behalf. But when it came time for the defense to argue, they painted a different picture by claiming that Abby had still attended concerts, went to the gym, and began studying for her cosmetology license. All of which they considered proof that her PTSD and hand injury weren't that bad. Then an education administration expert named Amy Klinger argued on the defense saying, quote, no one is the sole person responsible for school safety. Klinger argued that Dr. Parker did not violate her professional expectations in any way. Finally, in early November, the jury deliberated for five and a half hours before deciding that Dr. Parker was indeed grossly negligent. On November 6, 2025, Abby was awarded $10 million. And that was just the beginning of the road for Dr. Parker, who will be facing a criminal trial expected to start this month. Dr. Parker has been charged with eight counts of felony child neglect. Based on the eight bullets in the gun, each representing a potentially lost life. Each count can be punished up to five years in prison. We will be watching this trial as it unfolds. And because the civil trial was only focused on Abby, there are still some loose threads about this case that weren't touched on during the civil trial. It's quite possible that other people will be held responsible for what happened to some degree. One of the more intriguing things we're hoping for updates on is something that made the news back in April, but hasn't been discussed since. Apparently, a grand jury was investigating a possible cover up on stolen files at the school. When police started looking into things, they found the electronic records on JT were incomplete. A lot of his behavioral incidents simply weren't noted, so investigators had to grab the physical copies. There were supposed to be two. One that was kept in the main office and one that was kept in Abby's classroom. But when the police went to get them, both copies were missing. On top of that, no other students files were unaccounted for, only JT's. Eventually, the director of elementary School leadership, Lakesh Parrot, turned over the copy that should have been stored in the main office. But she had no explanation for why they had been removed in the first place or even how she got them. On top of that, all of JT's disciplinary records were still missing. The grand jury called her testimony, quote, highly suspicious. The file that was in Abby's classroom has never been found, and some believe it was taken from her classroom right after she was shot. We will be following the criminal trial closely. We're so curious to see what else comes out about this and other things that haven't been touched on during the civil trial. And as always, we'll keep you up to date on any and all new developments. What did you think of tonight's case? Drop your thoughts and theories in the comments. See you next time. If you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel @Crime House Daily and follow us on social media rimehouse247 for real time updates. Because the pursuit of justice never stops. Looking for your next Crime House? Listen, don't miss Clues with Morgan Absher and Kaylin Moore. Every Wednesday, Morgan and Kaylin take you deep into the world of the most, most notorious crimes ever. Clue by clue. It's like hanging out with your smart, true crime obsessed friends. Listen to Clues on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts.