Charges dismissed for ex-official at school where 6-year-old shot teacher

U.S. Judge dismisses charges against ex-school official accused of neglect after 6-year-old shot teacher May 21, 2026 / 12:33 PM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google All charges against Ebony Parker, the former elementary school assistant principal accused of ignoring repeated warnings that a 6-year-old student had a gun hours before the child eventually shot and seriously wounded his teacher, were dismissed Thursday.The ruling from Circuit Judge Rebecca Robinson, in Newport News, Virginia, came on the fourth day of Parker's trial in response to a motion filed by the defense team for the former Richneck Elementary School administrator. She was facing eight counts of felony child neglect for her alleged actions around the shooting, but Robinson said Thursday that the court "is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime."Parker was charged in the January 2023 shooting in Newport News that left teacher Abby Zwerner wounded. Prosecutors had said the charges were for each of the bullets in the gun brought into Zwerner's classroom. Each count could have carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction.Special prosecutor Josh Jenkins did not immediately return an email and a telephone message left at his office on Thursday. During opening statements earlier this week, Jenkins had sought to paint a picture of Parker as dismissive when employees at the school approached with concerns that a gun may have been inside the 6-year-old's backpack. Defense attorney Curtis Rogers told the judge in making his motion that Parker's decision on the day of the shooting "wasn't an act of neglect.""Her actions in no way indicated that she believed there was a firearm in the possession" of the child, Rogers said. Ebony Parker looks on during jury selection for her trial at the Newport News Circuit Court in Newport News, Va., Monday, May 18, 2026. Peter Casey/The Virginian-Pilot via AP, Pool Another defense attorney, Stephen Teague, said outside court that "we be...