Bodycam Footage Shows 6-Year-Old Threatening Police After Shooting Teacher

Newly released bodycam footage reveals the defiant behavior of a six-year-old boy moments after he shot his first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Virginia. The incident occurred on January 6, 2023, when the child, identified as J.T., brought his mother's gun to school and fired at teacher Abigail Zwerner.

The footage shows the boy sitting in the lap of reading specialist Amy Kovac as police surround them. The child can be heard shouting expletives and threatening officers as they attempted to handcuff him. "I don't care if I go to jail, b****," the boy stated, according to the bodycam recording. He also added, "If you want a piece of me, come get it!" when asked for his name.

J.T. admitted to stealing the weapon from his mother. Kovac restrained the child until law enforcement arrived. According to search warrants, the boy also stated he "shot that b***** dead" while police were present. "We know you know that language, and you know that's not appropriate. Mrs Kovac is not happy with that," Kovac told the boy in the video.

Teacher Abigail Zwerner sustained gunshot wounds to her left hand and upper left chest. The bullet fractured her bones and punctured a lung. Zwerner and other students fled the classroom after the shooting. Kovac entered to find the boy alone with the gun on the floor nearby. Kovac stayed with the child until police arrived, holding him in her lap.

Zwerner filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school's assistant principal, Ebony Parker, alleging that Parker failed to act on multiple warnings about the student's violent behavior. Zwerner testified that she had informed Parker about the boy's "violent mood" that day and that Kovac had also expressed concerns about the child possibly having a firearm. The lawsuit claims Parker dismissed concerns, stating the boy's pockets were too small to hold a handgun, and prevented a guidance counselor from searching him.

In May, criminal charges against Parker, including felony child abuse and endangerment, were dismissed. The judge ruled that Parker's actions did not constitute a crime, stating that the legislature would need to codify such offenses. Parker had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In November, Parker was ordered to pay Zwerner $10 million in a gross negligence lawsuit. Zwerner's family issued a statement expressing hope for changes in the education system to address violent children and hold administrators accountable.

The boy's mother, Deja Taylor, pleaded guilty to felony child neglect and was sentenced to two years in prison in 2023, a harsher sentence than recommended by prosecutors. She also received a 21-month federal prison sentence for using marijuana while owning a gun and lying on a federal background check form when purchasing the weapon used in the shooting.

Taylor's son is now in the custody of his great-grandfather and attends a new school. No criminal charges were filed against the student.