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New bodycam footage reveals 6-year-old’s shocking foul-mouthed rant after shooting his teacher at Virginia elementary school
New body camera footage has been released, revealing what unfolded after a six-year-old shot a teacher inside a Virginia elementary school classroom.
The footage, released by a court, captures police entering the first-grade classroom at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News in January 2023, shortly after the student shot teacher Abby Zwerner.
Zwerner survived the shooting, despite the bullet, which initially struck her hand, traveling into her chest in what was a near miss.
Body camera footage shows moments following shooting
The body camera recordings have since become evidence in Zwerner's civil lawsuit against former assistant principal Ebony Parker, who was accused of failing to act despite allegedly receiving several warnings that the child was carrying a loaded gun.
The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press sought to have the footage made public in June, with a judge subsequently ordering its release, provided that the child's face was blurred and identifying information was removed.
In the moments after the shooting, the boy remained inside the classroom while reading specialist Amy Kovac held him, with the footage capturing the child repeatedly shouting profanities at both Kovac and responding police officers.
Kovac can be heard immediately alerting officers to the weapon, saying: "The gun is there," adding: "He just admitted he had one… bullet."
The handgun still contained seven additional rounds after the shooting, according to reports, but no other bullets were discharged from the firearm.
Following his apprehension, the child then appeared to become verbally confrontational with the officers, and he can be heard audibly saying" "Both of y’all want a f**king piece of me…"
An officer responded by telling him: "Let’s leave the gun there…", before police subsequently located the weapon on the opposite side of the classroom.
Kovac also told officers that she had previously raised concerns about the student, admitting, "I told the AP [Parker] that there was a threat earlier…"
The child then made another profane comment: "That ***** retired last year,” before yelling inaudibly.
The heated exchange between the six-year-old and police
Kovac explained to the officers that the boy was six years old and attended school on a modified schedule, also confirming to them that it was his first week attending without his mother.
One officer then checked on the child's condition: "Is he OK?", the officer asked.
Kovac replied: "He’s fine. You’re fine? Turn over here. When you shot the gun, did anything hurt you?"
"No…" the boy responded.
Kovac then asked him to show her his hands: "Let me see your hands, let me see your hands."
An officer subsequently asked where the firearm was located.
"It’s over there, b***h," the child said.
Kovac immediately told him: "Stop that."
The boy responded: "F**k you."
"That’s not how we speak to each other," Kovac replied.
The child then continued: "F**k you, b***h."
Kovac noticed what appeared to be gunshot residue on the boy's hand during the exchange, with the child also telling officers where he had obtained the weapon.
"My mom had that. I stole that from my mom," he claimed, before adding: "I don’t care if you call backup. I don’t care if I go to jail."
At one point, the child appears to strike Kovac before officers calmly escort him out of the classroom.
Zwerner subsequently pursued legal action against Parker over the shooting, with a jury awarding the teacher $10 million in damages late last year.
While Parker was also investigated for separate criminal offenses, the case against her was dismissed earlier this year, after prosecutors alleged she had ignored warnings about the boy having a gun on him.