School principal in Virginia where 6-year-old teacher shot to death was removed as students returned to class

The principal of Richneck Elementary School in Virginia, where a 6-year-old boy shot and killed his first grade teacher, has been suspended as children return to classrooms on Monday for the first time since the shooting with new safety protocols.

Briana Foster Newton, who was principal at the time of the Jan. 6 shooting, is no longer in that position but is still employed by Newport News public schools, county spokeswoman Michelle Price said Monday. It’s unclear what her new role is.

Her departure marks the latest in a string of departures following the shooting, which left 25-year-old first grade teacher Abigail Zwerner seriously wounded in the arm and chest and hospitalized.

Abigail Zwerner
Abigail Zwerner.Abby Zwerner via Facebook

Assistant director Dr. Ebony Parker has resigned, Price said Friday. School system superintendent George Parker III was fired from his position on Wednesday in a 5-1 vote in a school board meeting that went into effect Feb. 1.

Price said that with the departure of the principal and assistant principal, Karen Lynch, the district supervisor for advanced learning and an experienced elementary school principal, will serve as a special administrator in Richneck, coordinating the return of students to school.

With Parker’s impending departure, the School Board voted to appoint Dr. Michelle Mitchell as Interim Superintendent of Schools to oversee a district of approximately 26,500 students. She is currently the Executive Director of Student Development for Newport News Public Schools, the district said.

Back to school: clean backpacks, metal detectors and security guards

School will look a little different for the Richneck students returning on Monday.

Two permanent school division security personnel will be present, two metal detector systems installed, doors installed in classrooms without one, and all students will receive transparent backpacks on Monday, according to the district.

Emotional support services for students, families and staff will continue, including in-person services.

Police respond to a shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia on January 6, 2023.
Police respond to a shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Va., January 6.Billy Schuerman / Virginia Pilot via Getty Images)

The teacher is recovering, a criminal case will be initiated

The police called Zwerner a hero, saying that she was deliberately shot and despite her injuries, she still managed to get about 20 students out of her class safely.

She was released from the hospital earlier this month and continues to improve.

On Wednesday, Zwerner’s attorney, Diane Toscano, announced that she would file a lawsuit on behalf of her client. Toscano said that on January 6, three teachers approached the school administration about the boy’s behavior, claiming he had a gun on campus, but those concerns were not taken seriously.

In one incident between a teacher reporting concern and an administrator, the administrator said, “Wait, because the school day is almost over,” Toscano said.

No charges have been announced in the case.

Police Chief Steve Drew said the child’s mother bought the 9mm Taurus firearm used in the shooting legally and that the boy took it from home. According to him, the key point in the investigation is whether it was properly protected.

The family of the boy who shot Zwerner said in a statement that the child “suffered from an acute disability and was under the care of a school” where his mother or father attended classes with him.

The statement said the gun was “protected” when he took it from their home, but did not elaborate.

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