Former assistant principal of Virginia school where 6-year-old shot his teacher has been charged with child abuse

The former assistant principal of a Virginia elementary school where a 6-year-old student shot his teacher in 2023 has been indicted on child abuse charges, court records show.

Ebony Parker is facing eight counts related to the day of the shooting, according to the online docket, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A warrant has been issued for her arrest, the docket shows.

Court records filed in Newport News Circuit Court were unsealed Tuesday, about a month after a grand jury filed the charges.

NBC News could not immediately obtain a copy of the indictment for details on the charges.

The Newport News Commonwealth Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment. It was not immediately known if Parker had legal representation and she could not be reached for comment.

The Jan. 6, 2023, shooting of first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner raised concerns about potential security failures at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News and in a school district rattled by other incidents of gun violence at other campuses.

Authorities say Zwerner was intentionally shot by one of her students but escorted her panicked class to safety. A bullet ripped through Zwerner’s left hand, rupturing bones before it lodged in her upper chest, leaving behind fragments.