The Aporia · ‘I don’t care if I go to jail’: Newly released video shows 6-year-old defiant after Virginia school shooting

A newly released body camera video from January 6, 2023, shows a defiant 6-year-old boy cursing at police officers shortly after he shot his teacher, Abigail Zwerner, at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. The footage captures the child threatening the officers and revealing that he had taken the gun from his mother. In a subsequent civil trial, Zwerner was awarded $10 million in damages when a jury found the former assistant principal, Ebony Parker, grossly negligent for ignoring warnings about the boy’s possession of a firearm.

Written by AI on 2026-10-08, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

On January 6, 2023, a 6-year-old boy identified only as J.T. shot his teacher, Abigail Zwerner, at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. The bullet entered Zwerner's hand and lodged in her chest, necessitating the bullet to remain there due to medical risks from removal. After the incident, which occurred before 16 students, J.T. cursed and threatened police officers seen in body camera footage. A civil trial found that the school’s former assistant principal, Ebony Parker, ignored warnings about a gun in J.T.’s backpack; Zwerner was awarded $10 million in damages plus interest following this verdict. Meanwhile, J.T.'s mother, Deja Nicole Taylor, spent nearly two years in jail after pleading guilty to felony child neglect and federal gun charges related to the weapon used in the shooting.

Written for “School Shooting Defiance” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 School Shooting Defiance

Crime & Law · 2 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

This article reads unscored and hedges 8% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

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Zwerner, who no longer teaches, was awarded $10 million in damages, plus interest, last year after a jury found that former assistant principal, Ebony Parker, ignored warnings that the child had a gun in his backpack.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-08

🔮 At a civil trial against the school’s former assistant principal, a doctor testified that removing the bullet would be far more dangerous than leaving it in place.

2026-10-08 · NBC News

‘I don’t care if I go to jail’: Newly released video shows 6-year-old defiant after Virginia school shooting · assertive framing

A 6-year-old boy who shot his Virginia elementary school teacher in 2023 was seen cursing at police officers in a newly released body camera video. asserted

who → shoot → video

“Where is the weapon?” one officer asks. asserted

officer → ask → ?

“It’s over there,” the child says, cursing at the officer. asserted

child → ’ → officer

“If you want a piece of me, come it all, b----,” the child says. asserted

child → want → it

The video shows the moments after the first-grader shot Abigail Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News on Jan. 6, 2023. asserted

grader → show → Jan.

The bullet tore through her hand before striking her in the chest, where it remains. asserted

it → tear → chest

At a civil trial against the school’s former assistant principal, a doctor testified that removing the bullet would be far more dangerous than leaving it in place. asserted

removing → testify → place

Zwerner testified at the trial that she thought she was dying after she was shot. asserted

she → testify → trial

“I thought I was on my way to heaven or in heaven,” she said. asserted

she → think → heaven

“But then it all got black.” asserted

it → get → ?

child → teach → backpack

The jury said that the shooting could have been avoided and that Parker’s gross negligence led to the incident. uncertain

negligence → say → incident

In the video, the child also appears to curse at a different teacher, who is restraining him as police begin processing the scene. asserted

police → appear → scene

“My mom had that,” the child says, in reference to the gun. asserted

child → have → gun

“I stole that from my mom.” asserted

I → steal → mom

At another point, the child screams at the officers. asserted

child → scream → officers

“Both of y’all want a f---ing piece of me, b----,” he says. asserted

he → want → me

The teacher holding him says the child still has gun residue on his hands. asserted

child → hold → hands

The video was initially sealed during Parker’s criminal trial, where she was charged with eight counts of child neglect. asserted

she → seal → neglect

A judge dismissed the case in May, ruling that Parker had not committed a crime under state law. uncertain

Parker → dismiss → law

The judge decided to release the video but ordered the child’s face be blurred. asserted

face → decide → video

“I don’t care if you call backup,” the child tells police. asserted

child → care → police

“I don’t care if I go to jail.” asserted

I → care → jail

The child’s mother, Deja Taylor, was arrested after the shooting on a state charge of felony child neglect and a federal weapons charge. asserted

mother → arrest → neglect

In 2023 she was sentenced to two years in prison on the child neglect and 21 months on the federal charge. asserted

she → sentence → charge

‘I don’t care if I go to jail’: Newly released video shows 6-year-old defiant after Virginia school shooting

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