Disturbing Bodycam Video Shows Moments After 6-Year-Old Shoots Teacher at Virginia School

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Newly released body-camera footage is shedding disturbing new light on the moments immediately after a 6-year-old student shot his first-grade teacher inside a Virginia elementary school classroom.

The footage, which had previously been presented as evidence in court but was not publicly available, captures the chaotic aftermath of the January 2023 shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News.

The child, identified in court records as J.T., is seen being restrained by a reading specialist as police officers arrive at the classroom. Rather than appearing frightened or remorseful, the boy repeatedly curses at the adults around him and challenges officers as they try to secure the scene.

The footage has renewed attention on one of the most disturbing school shootings in recent Virginia history — and on the questions surrounding how a 6-year-old was able to bring a loaded handgun into an elementary school.

“I stole that from my mom”

According to the newly released footage and court records, J.T. had taken a 9mm handgun from his mother’s purse on the morning of the shooting.

Investigators said the child climbed onto a dresser, took the weapon and placed it in his backpack before bringing it to school.

Later that afternoon, during a first-grade reading class, he removed the handgun from a jacket pocket and fired a single shot at his teacher, Abby Zwerner, from approximately 10 feet away.

The bullet struck Zwerner in the hand before entering her chest.

The newly released bodycam footage begins shortly after the shooting. Reading specialist Amy Kovac can be seen holding the boy in a bear hug while officers enter the classroom.

Police quickly locate the handgun on the floor several feet away.

An officer can be heard confirming that they have located the shooter.

As officers attempt to understand what happened, J.T. tells them that he took the firearm from his mother.

The statement adds another disturbing detail to an already shocking case: the weapon had not been brought into the school by an older student or an adult, but by a first-grader who had apparently been able to access it at home.

Child threatens officers and repeatedly curses

The footage becomes increasingly disturbing as officers attempt to control the situation.

J.T. repeatedly directs profanity at Kovac and the responding officers. At one point, he challenges police to confront him and tells them he does not care if they call for backup or if he goes to jail.

Kovac repeatedly tries to calm the child and reminds him that the language he is using is inappropriate.

The officers also appear concerned about possible gunshot residue on the boy’s hands.

One officer asks about obtaining small handcuffs because of the child’s age.

The footage paints an unsettling picture of the immediate aftermath: a severely wounded teacher, a classroom full of young children who had just witnessed gunfire and a 6-year-old suspect being restrained as police attempt to secure the scene.

Kovac later testified that the boy punched her in the face during the confrontation.

Teacher suffered serious injuries

Zwerner survived the shooting but suffered severe injuries.

The bullet passed through her hand and lodged in her chest, leaving her with lasting physical consequences. She underwent multiple surgeries and spent nearly two weeks hospitalized.

The shooting also had a profound emotional impact on the students who were inside the classroom when it happened.

The incident immediately triggered questions about whether warning signs had been missed before the gun was fired.

According to court testimony, there had been concerns about J.T.’s behavior before the shooting. He had previously been suspended and was placed on a modified school schedule.

Kovac told responding officers that the shooting occurred during the boy’s first week back at school without his mother accompanying him.

Questions about warnings before the shooting

The bodycam footage is only one part of a much larger legal battle surrounding the case.

Former Richneck Elementary assistant principal Ebony Parker faced criminal charges related to allegations that she failed to respond appropriately to warnings about the child before the shooting.

During earlier court proceedings, prosecutors argued that school officials had received information indicating the boy may have had a firearm.

Parker was accused of failing to take sufficient action before the shooting occurred.

Her criminal case eventually ended when the charges against her were dismissed before the defense presented its case.

The legal proceedings have nevertheless kept the focus on a central question: Could the shooting have been prevented?

Mother faced legal consequences

The child’s mother, Deja Nicole Taylor, also faced serious legal consequences.

Taylor was prosecuted over child neglect and federal firearm-related offenses connected to the gun used in the shooting.

Authorities said the weapon had been accessible to the child despite being in the mother’s possession.

Taylor ultimately served time in prison and was released earlier this year.

The case became part of a broader national debate over firearm storage, parental responsibility and the ability of children to access guns inside the home.

Zwerner later won $10 million judgment

Zwerner later pursued a civil case stemming from the shooting.

In 2025, she was awarded $10 million following a civil trial involving Parker.

The case highlighted the enormous physical and emotional consequences the shooting had on the teacher, who had been working with young children when she was shot.

For Zwerner, the incident was not simply a moment of violence captured on a police report. It resulted in serious injuries, surgeries and lasting effects on her life and career.

The footage brings the case back into the spotlight

More than three years after the shooting, the release of the bodycam footage has brought renewed public attention to the case.

The video offers a rare glimpse into the immediate aftermath of the shooting and shows the confusion faced by police and school staff as they tried to secure the classroom and determine what had happened.

It also provides a stark reminder of how quickly a normal school day can turn into a life-threatening emergency.

The fact that the shooter was only 6 years old makes the case particularly disturbing. It raises difficult questions about childhood behavior, access to firearms, school safety and the responsibilities of adults who are aware of warning signs.

While the shooting occurred in 2023, the newly released footage has reopened those questions — and once again placed the experience of Abby Zwerner and the students who witnessed the shooting in the national spotlight.

The case remains a sobering example of the consequences that can follow when a young child gains access to a firearm.

Source: New York Post, Newport News Sheriff’s Office, FOX 5 DC, Associated Press and court records.