Newly released bodycam footage captures the chaotic moments after a six-year-old boy shot his first-grade teacher at a Virginia elementary school, showing the child cursing at police, challenging them to fight, and admitting he stole the 9mm handgun from his mother. The nearly three-minute video, recorded by Newport News police officer Brian Torrez, was made public in October 2026 after a judge ordered it unsealed.
Shooting at Richneck Elementary School
On January 6, 2023, the six-year-old, identified in court records as J.T., fired a single shot at his teacher, Abby Zwerner, during an afternoon reading class at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. Zwerner, who was 25 at the time, was sitting at a reading table when J.T. pulled the handgun from his jacket, pointed it at her from about 10 feet away, and fired.
The bullet passed through Zwerner's hand and entered her chest. She survived but suffered serious injuries that required six surgeries, and the bullet remains lodged in her chest. Immediately after the gunshot, reading specialist Amy Kovac rushed into the classroom and restrained the boy in a bear hug while police officers arrived.
Bodycam Footage Shows Confrontation and Admission
As officers entered, Kovac pointed them toward the firearm. "The gun is there," she told them, explaining that the child had admitted he had a weapon. A sheriff's deputy located the 9mm handgun on the classroom floor, about 15 to 20 feet from where J.T. was being restrained.
Rather than appearing frightened by the arrival of police, the six-year-old became confrontational. He repeatedly cursed at Kovac and the officers and challenged them to fight. "Both y'all want a fing piece of me, b*?!" he said. Kovac told him to stop, but he continued swearing at her. "F*** you, b****," he said. At another point, the boy told officers, "I don't care if you call backup. I don't care if I go to jail."
Kovac asked him whether anything had hurt him when he fired the weapon. "No," he replied. An officer noticed what appeared to be gunshot residue on his hands. The handgun still had seven rounds after the shooting and had jammed, preventing further shots. When questioned, the boy admitted the gun belonged to his mother. "My mom had that. I stole that from my mom," he said.
How the Boy Got the Gun and Prior Warnings
Court evidence established that on the morning of the shooting, J.T. climbed onto a dresser in his mother's bedroom, reached her purse, took the handgun, put it in his backpack, and brought it to school. He kept the weapon hidden until the afternoon, when he removed it from his jacket during Zwerner's reading class and fired.
The footage also reveals concerns school employees had raised before the shooting. Kovac told police that she had previously informed assistant principal Ebony Parker that there was a threat involving J.T. She explained that the boy was six years old, attending school on a modified schedule, and that it was his first week without his mother staying at the school. Other employees had also reported that students had said the boy had a gun at school.
Legal Consequences and Aftermath
Parker was charged with eight felony counts of child neglect over allegations that she ignored warnings about the firearm. In May 2026, Newport News Circuit Judge Rebecca Robinson dismissed all eight charges, ruling the allegations did not constitute a criminal offense. A jury had previously awarded Zwerner $10 million after finding Parker liable; Zwerner had sought $40 million in damages.
The six-year-old could not be prosecuted because he was below Virginia's minimum age of criminal responsibility. His mother, Deja Nicole Taylor, pleaded guilty to felony child neglect and faced a separate federal firearms case. She spent years in state and federal custody and was released from prison in February 2026. The boy was placed in the custody of his great-grandfather, Calvin Jerome Taylor, and remains in Newport News. His identity and face have been protected in public records and the newly released video because he is a minor.
