Lt. Gov.: ‘Thank you for the lives you saved’
First grade teacher shot at Richneck Elementary feted in Richmond
RICHMOND — Legislators honored Richneck Elementary School teacher Abigail Zwerner at the General Assembly, presenting her Wednesday with a resolution that praised the 25-year-old for her actions during a recent school shooting in Newport News.
“Thank you for all that you do for our children and for the lives you no doubt saved,” Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears said as she gave Zwerner a plaque on the Senate floor.
A 6-year old student shot Zwerner Jan. 6 inside her classroom at Richneck Elementary School. The bullet went through her left hand and struck her in the upper chest and shoulder.
Senate Minority Leader Tommy Norment, a Williamsburg Republican who introduced Zwerner as his distinguished guest, said she acted heroically in the aftermath.
“Immediately after the shot, Abby escorted all 18 of her students to a position of safety out of the classroom and away from the shooter,” he said. “She has been praised all across this country.”
The praise came as the General Assembly reconvened Wednesday to discuss unfinished business. Lawmakers are expected to consider 78 bills amended by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and three that he vetoed.
Norment said the past few months have been challenging for Zwerner, who has undergone at least four operations. But he said she has continued to show empathy for her students throughout her ordeal.
Norment explained a personal connection to Zwerner. His oldest daughter, a kindergarten teacher, supervised Zwerner during her student teaching period.
“That relationship has continued,” he said.
Norment added the shooting
has been described as a “red flag” for the country and sparked conversations about the legal culpability of very young children and the need for more school safety measures.
“I am prayerful that those of you who are privileged to return in 2024 are going to have a laser-like focus on school safety,” said Norment, who previously announced he will not seek reelection.
Following the shooting, Del. Mike Mullin, D-Newport News, and Sen. Monty Mason, D-Williamsburg, proposed budget amendments to provide funding for Richneck Elementary to close off several classrooms that lack walls and doors.
The budget amendments are tied up in ongoing budget negotiations.
Mason and Mullin also called for legislators on both sides of the aisle to work together on gun safety.
“This yes-or-no, black-or-white discussion that we’ve always had on guns has got to become more malleable,” Mason previously told The Virginian-Pilot. “No one fix will solve every problem, but we need a series of fixes to address this epidemic.”
Zwerner, a York County resident and a graduate of James Madison University, made no public remarks Wednesday. She recently filed a $40 million lawsuit against the Newport News School Board, alleging administrators failed to protect her.
Zwerner rarely speaks to the media. But she told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie in an interview that she believed she had died after being shot.
“I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me,” Zwerner said. “It’s changed me. It’s changed my life.”