Opening statements began Tuesday in the trial of Ebony Parker, a former assistant principal at Richneck Elementary School, who stands accused of eight felony child-neglect counts stemming from the events leading up to the January 2023 shooting.
Special prosecutor Josh Jenkins told jurors that several school employees warned Parker they believed the 6-year-old student had a gun in his backpack. Jenkins said Parker did not act on those warnings.
“Does she say ‘search the child’? No,” Jenkins told the jury. “Does she say ‘call the police,’ or does she call the police? No. Does she remove the child from the classroom and separate him? No.”
Instead, Jenkins said, Parker told staff that the child’s mother would arrive soon to pick up the student for the day.
The 6-year-old discharged a firearm inside the classroom on Jan. 6, 2023, striking first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner. Zwerner survived the shooting but required medical treatment for her wounds.
The trial is ongoing.