Teacher Testifies in Civil Trial After Being Shot by 6-Year-Old Student

Teacher's Testimony Under Direct Examination

• 🎯 Abby Zwerner, the first-grade teacher shot by a six-year-old student, testified in her civil trial against a former assistant principal.
• ⚡ She described the moment before the shooting, recalling a "blank look" on the student's face, which prompted her to lift her hand.
• 💭 Zwerner recounted her immediate thoughts after being shot, believing she was dying and on her way to heaven, before regaining consciousness to find coworkers applying pressure to her wound.

Allegations Against Assistant Principal

• ⚠️ Zwerner is suing the school's assistant principal, Ebony Parker, for $40 million, alleging she failed to act on multiple warnings that the student had a gun.
• 🏫 Zwerner testified that a neighboring teacher informed her that two students saw a student with a gun in his backpack.
• 👩‍🏫 Zwerner continued teaching her class, expecting the vice principal, who was responsible for crisis management, to handle the situation.
• 🚫 Despite the warnings and Zwerner's expectation, no action was taken by the vice principal, leading to the shooting.

Defense Cross-Examination and Tactics

• ⚖️ During cross-examination, the defense focused on placing responsibility on Zwerner, questioning why she didn't approach the student or the vice principal.
• 🎤 The defense also highlighted Zwerner attending a Taylor Swift concert, suggesting it indicated she was not as emotionally disturbed as claimed.
• 🎟️ Zwerner's sister had purchased the tickets as a way to help her cope with the trauma.