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(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) — A civil trial is underway in Virginia nearly three years after a then-6-year-old student shot his first grade teacher in an elementary school classroom.

The teacher, Abby Zwerner, is seeking $40 million over the January 2023 shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, according to the civil complaint.

The complaint alleges that the school’s assistant principal at the time, Ebony Parker, failed to act after being informed multiple times the student had a firearm on the day of the shooting.

The student took the firearm out of his pocket and aimed it at Zwerner while she was seated in the classroom, according to the complaint. The bullet went through her hand and then into her chest, and Zwerner was initially hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, police said.

Opening statements took place Tuesday morning in the civil trial, which has been scheduled to run through Nov. 6, according to the online docket.

ABC News has reached out to Parker’s attorney for comment but did not receive a response. Zwerner’s attorneys told ABC News they are not providing any comments during the trial. 

Three other defendants initially listed in Zwerner’s complaint — two other school administrators and the Newport News School Board — have since been dismissed from the lawsuit.

Parker has also been charged with eight counts of felony child abuse with disregard for life in connection with the shooting — one count for each bullet that was in the gun, according to the Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. A trial on the criminal charges is scheduled to start next month.

Parker resigned from her position shortly after the incident.

The civil complaint alleges Parker’s administrative style was to “permit students to engage in dangerous and disruptive conduct and impose no consequence for breaking the rules, thereby placing all persons in the vicinity of the school and in the community at risk.”

On the day of the shooting, two students told a school staffer that the 6-year-old student had a gun in his backpack, according to the complaint. When confronted, the student reportedly denied it but refused to provide the staffer with his backpack, according to the complaint.

During recess that day, Zwerner told the staffer she saw the student “take something out of his backpack before recess and place it into the pocket of his hoodie sweatshirt,” according to the complaint. The staffer searched the backpack during recess but did not find a gun, according to the complaint. When the staffer reportedly told Parker the student had “informed students that he had a gun” and no weapon was found in his backpack, Parker “did nothing,” the complaint alleged.

According to the complaint, a classmate told another first grade teacher that the 6-year-old student had shown him the firearm during recess. After the teacher reported this to the school office, Parker allegedly did not allow anyone to search the student for the firearm, according to the complaint. Within an hour, the student shot Zwerner, according to the complaint.

The complaint alleges Parker acted with gross negligence and in “reckless disregard” for Zwerner’s safety.

Zwerner said she has undergone multiple surgeries following the shooting, and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression and has nightmares stemming from the incident.

Zwerner told Hampton, Virginia, ABC affiliate WVEC in an interview a year after the shooting she does not think she will be able to teach again due to the “anxiety, the PTSD and the fear.”

The student brought the gun from home, police said. His mother, Deja Taylor, was sentenced to two years in state prison for child neglect in connection with the shooting, which she is currently serving. Taylor was also sentenced to 21 months in prison on federal firearm and drug charges, which she has since served.

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(NEW YORK) — Amazon has announced that it will cut an estimated 14,000 jobs from its corporate workforce as it focuses on “reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources,” according to the company.

Beth Galetti, senior vice president of people experience and technology at Amazon, announced the organizational changes on Tuesday, saying that those affected would be informed later in the day.

“Last year, [Amazon CEO Andy Jassy] posted a note about strengthening our culture and teams — explaining how we want to operate like the world’s largest startup, the importance of having the right structure to drive that level of speed and ownership, and the need to be set up to invent, collaborate, be connected, and deliver the absolute best for customers,” Galetti said in the announcement on Tuesday.

“The reductions we’re sharing today are a continuation of this work to get even stronger by further reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources to ensure we’re investing in our biggest bets and what matters most to our customers’ current and future needs,” Galetti continued.

Galetti said that the people affected in the reduction of the estimated 14,000 roles — about 4% of their workforce of an estimated 350,000 people — would be supported in the coming weeks and months.

“We’re working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted, including offering most employees 90 days to look for a new role internally (the timing will vary some based on local laws), and our recruiting teams will prioritize internal candidates to help as many people as possible find new roles within Amazon,” Galetti said.

“For our teammates who are unable to find a new role at Amazon or who choose not to look for one, we’ll offer them transition support including severance pay, outplacement services, health insurance benefits, and more,” Galetti continued.

Amazon said that they would continue hiring in “key strategic areas while also finding additional places we can remove layers, increase ownership, and realize efficiency gains.”

“What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly,” said Galetti. “We’re convicted that we need to be organized more leanly, with fewer layers and more ownership, to move as quickly as possible for our customers and business.”

“I don’t know of any other company with the breadth of Amazon, the number of exciting bold bets we’re making, and all the ways we can make customers lives better and easier around the world,” Galetti continued.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration is considering replacing senior field office leaders at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with leaders from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to multiple law enforcement officials.

The change would represent a shift by the administration to try and get more deportations, as the White House has been pushing for, according to law enforcement officials.

As many as 12 field office directors could be replaced by border patrol officials in the coming days, a law enforcement source told ABC News.

The field offices range from Los Angeles to Philadelphia — and all of this is spearheaded by Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Commander at Large Greg Bovino.

Bovino’s tactics have drawn the ire of at least one federal judge who called him to testify about potentially ignoring a court order.

Internally at DHS, Bovino has drawn praise from senior DHS leadership. It would also be a shift for ICE — which typically keeps promotions in-house. 

DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin posted on X on Monday, saying, “This is one team, one fight. President Trump has a brilliant, tenacious team led by @Sec_Noem to deliver on the American people’s mandate to remove criminal illegal aliens from this country.”

“As we said, we have no personnel changes to announce right now, but we remain laser focused on RESULTS and we will deliver,” McLaughlin added.

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(NEW YORK) — When the tens of thousands of runners hit the streets this Sunday for the New York City Marathon, they’ll be competing in weather conditions a bit warmer than experts say is optimal for peak performance. While the “sweet spot” for competitive running varies by gender and ability, researchers believe the ideal marathon running conditions are somewhere between 39 degrees and 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

But according to a new analysis by Climate Central, climate change is threatening the optimal conditions that help elite runners break world records and amateurs achieve their personal bests.

The report from the nonprofit science research group found that as our planet continues to warm due to human-amplified climate change, ideal marathon conditions will become increasingly rare for many events worldwide.

According to Climate Central’s research, 86% of the 221 global marathons reviewed are less likely to have ideal weather on race days by 2045 because of climate change. Of those races, all seven Abbott World Marathon Majors will be affected, including the famous New York City and Boston Marathons.

For elite male runners, the Tokyo Marathon currently offers the world’s best odds for ideal race-day conditions, but the Climate Central analysis found that it’s also facing the sharpest decline in the odds of perfect weather by 2045 as global temperatures rise.

This year’s Tokyo and Berlin marathons were hit by heat waves that Climate Central said were made two to three times more likely by climate change. Those heat waves pushed the race-day temperatures well above the window for peak performance. And by 2045, the chances of an ideal weather day for the Tokyo Marathon will decrease from 69% to 57% for the elite men. For Berlin, the odds go from 40% to 29% for the elite women.

Overall, from 2025 to 2045, for the elite men, the likelihood of optimal temperatures on race days declines in Tokyo, Boston, London, New York and Berlin. For the elite woman, they are facing a reduced chance in London, New York, Chicago, Berlin and Sydney.

Climate Central notes that while elite female runners are “uniquely resilient, maintaining optimal performance at higher temperatures than elite men and other runner types,” ideal race-day conditions for these elite women athletes are still projected to decrease in the decades to come.

“Climate change has altered the marathon. Dehydration is a real risk, and simple miscalculations can end a race before it begins,” said Catherine Ndereba, a former Marathon World Record Holder, two-time World Marathon Champion, four-time Winner of Boston Marathon and two-time Winner of Chicago Marathon.

Ndereba added, “We’re not just training to run anymore; athletes have to adapt how they deal with the conditions, including in how they eat and hydrate.”

Climate Central recommends that race organizers consider starting the events closer to sunrise, but the organization stresses that only meaningful climate action and reducing the use of fossil fuels can safeguard marathons’ future.

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(NEW YORK) — Following last week’s arrests of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, the National Basketball Association on Monday said it’s undertaking a review of how the league can protect itself from sports betting and whether it’s doing enough to educate coaches, players and other personnel about the “dire risks” gambling could pose to their careers, according to an NBA league memo obtained by ABC News. 

The memo, dated Monday and sent to all 30 teams from NBA general counsel Rick Buchanan and Dan Spillane, the NBA’s EVP of League Governance and Policy, said that the criminal cases against Billups, Rozier and more than two dozen other defendants “is an opportune time to carefully reassess how sports betting should be regulated and how sports leagues can best protect themselves, their players and their fans.”

The memo also said the NBA is reviewing policies about injury reporting after Rozier allegedly faked an injury in a March 23, 2023, game, when he played with the Charlotte Hornets, after, according to investigators, giving advance notice to gamblers who made $200,000 in bets against his statistics. 

“While the unusual betting [on the game] was detected in real time because the bets were placed legally, we believe there is more that can be done from a legal/regulatory perspective to protect the integrity of the NBA and our affiliated leagues,” the memo said.

Billups is among those charged last week in an alleged illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, while Rozier is among several people charged in a separate but related alleged illegal gambling case. Billups has been charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy and both were immediately placed on leave by their teams, the NBA said.

Monday’s memo further said that the NBA is “exploring ways to enhance our existing internal and external integrity monitoring programs” including the use of “AI and other tools” to “identify betting activity of concern.”

“With sports betting now occupying such a significant part of the current sports landscape, every effort must be made to ensure that players, coaches, and other NBA personnel are fully aware of the dire risks that gambling can impose upon their careers and livelihoods; that our injury disclosure rules are appropriate; and that players are protected from harassment from bettors,” according to the memo.

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(CALIFORNIA) — Populations of an invasive species of disease-carrying mosquitoes are continuing to spread throughout Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area, according to health officials.

Aedes aegypti — known for its capability to transmit diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika — were detected in San Jose near Kelley Park, the County of Santa Clara Vector Control District announced on Friday.

This is the first time A. aegypti was found in that particular area of San Jose, Taylor Kelly, the scientific-technical services manager of the Santa Clara County Mosquito and Vector Control District, told ABC News.

“This year in particular, we’ve had so many detections throughout new parts of the county,” Kelly said.

In the U.S., A. aegypti is typically found in the South, Southwest and Puerto Rico. It is also commonly found in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, including countries in Africa, Asia and southern Europe, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The species was first detected in California in 2013 and has been detected throughout 27 counties since — especially in Southern California and the Central Valley, according to the California Department of Public Health. Earlier this month, Los Angeles County reported its first case of locally acquired dengue for the 2025 mosquito season — with A. aegypti the likely culprit, Kelly said.

Populations have been spreading steadily throughout Northern California since the spring, according to health officials. A. aegypti, in particular, has the ability to “move with people,” whether it be following them into their car or home or breeding in extremely small containers.

In Santa Clara County, it appears A. aegypti has become established, Kelly said.

“I do think it’s something that residents are going to be notice because of the nuisance biting,” she said.

The species has been linked to local transmission of the dengue virus in California, according to the California Department of Health.

Climate change may be playing a role in the spread of mosquito populations and vector-borne diseases all over the world, as the insects thrive in warm and humid conditions, according to the World Mosquito Program. Mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland for the first time, leaving Antarctica as the only region in the world where the insect does not reside.

In California, climate has likely played a “very important role,” but other factors have likely facilitated the spread in the Bay Area, such as a developed resistance to insecticides, Kelly said.

A. aegypti is characterized by the white bands on its legs, white spots on the body and stripes on the upper body. They are “aggressive daytime biters,” according to Santa Clara County.

In addition, A. aegypti can lay eggs in container-like flowerpots, pet bowls and backyards, which can exacerbate the spread, officials said, urging residents to dump any standing water in their yards and scrub out containers that could catch rainfall.

“Everybody should dump and drain any standing water on their property at least once a week,” Kelly said.

The species can pose as a “top public health threat,” said Roberto Barrera, lead entomologist at the CDC’s Dengue Branch.

“These tiny troublemakers are responsible for spreading viruses that affect millions of people,” Barrera said in a statement.

California health officials have encouraged residents to report bites that happen during the day immediately and to document and send photos of mosquitoes that have black and white stripes.

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(NEW YORK) — Over 20 “ill-prepared” hikers were rescued from New Hampshire’s Mount Washington after they were trapped in “full winter conditions” without the proper gear, with some developing hypothermia, according to the Mount Washington Cog Railway.

The hikers, who were rescued on Saturday by railway officials, had reached the mountain’s 6,288-foot summit, but “most had no idea that summit services would be unavailable and that the state park was closed for the season,” Andy Vilaine, the assistant general manager for the Mount Washington Cog Railway, said in a statement on Saturday.

The train was heading to the summit as normal when crew members discovered “several distressed hikers,” Vilaine said in a statement to ABC News.

The hikers told the train officials they “didn’t think they would be able to hike back down,” with Vilaine agreeing after “assessing some of their conditions and outward appearance,” he said.

Many of the hikers were showing the “beginning signs of hypothermia” due to their “poor choice of clothing, including non-waterproof layers and sneakers,” Vilaine told ABC News.

Some of the hikers even admitted it was “their first hike ever,” Vilaine said.

Near the summit, temperatures on Saturday reached roughly between 15 to 18 degrees, with a wind chill anywhere between minus 5 and zero degrees, Vilaine said.

Train crew members created space “anywhere we could” for the hikers, with some even placed in locomotive cabs “with the heat on full-blast so they could start to reverse the effects of hypothermia,” Vilaine said.

“Had we not been able to assist the hikers with the one-way ride, there is little doubt in my mind that several more complex rescue efforts may have needed to be undertaken,” Vilaine told ABC News.

After the hikers were rescued, New Hampshire State Parks released a statement on Sunday urging those hiking in the winter conditions to be responsible as “multiple people have arrived at the summit the last few days very unprepared for winter and required assistance.”

Another hiker was rescued from Mount Washington on Sunday after he was “caught in a windblown snow with a dying light and cellphone near the summit,” according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

The 20-year-old hiker from Rhode Island was “on the upper reaches of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail,” which is approximately 0.3 miles below the mountain’s summit, when he alerted rescuers that his headlamp and cellphone were “rapidly dying,” the fish and game department said in a press release on Monday.

The hiker was “found to have done some research on his hike, but was absolutely unprepared for the conditions that he encountered,” the department said. The 20-year-old was found uninjured and “thanked the rescuers multiple times in the aftermath of this event,” the department said.

“This situation could have had a very bad outcome, and everyone involved recognized that fact,” the department said.

Officials emphasized that hikers must bring “everything needed to hike in winter conditions,” or to simply “just hike another day.”

“It’s literally a life or death situation if they go up there unprepared,” Lt. Mark Ober with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department told Manchester, New Hampshire, ABC affiliate WMUR.

Cris Hazzard, a professional hiking guide and author, known as “The Hiking Guy,” previously told ABC News that several minutes of “homework” before embarking on an outdoor excursion — including checking the website of the trail or park or downloading an app like AllTrails — can help hikers avoid challenging conditions or become aware of specific closures.

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(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Melissa, now a powerful Category 5 storm, will slam into Jamaica on Monday as the worst storm the island has ever seen.

Here is Melissa’s forecasted path:

Melissa is expected to make landfall in central or western Jamaica late Monday night or early Tuesday morning, likely as a Category 4 or 5 hurricane. Most of the destruction will unfold from noon on Monday to noon on Tuesday.

Tropical storm-force winds are already underway and will steadily increase throughout the day. Winds are expected to reach hurricane strength by Monday night and will last through Tuesday afternoon.

The rain and storm surge will be even more dangerous than the wind for some. Melissa is moving very slowly, so it will bring a deluge of rain to Jamaica, with totals forecast to reach 15 to 30 inches and even up to 40 inches in localized areas. This will spark catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding on Monday and Tuesday.

Storm surge will decimate parts of the southern coast with water surging up to 13 feet above ground level.

Next, the heavy rain will move to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where 8 to 16 inches of rainfall is possible. Catastrophic flash flooding and landslides are also in the forecast.

Melissa will then hit southeastern Cuba on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning as a major hurricane, dumping 10 to 20 inches of rain and leading to catastrophic flooding and numerous landslides.

On Wednesday, the southeastern Bahamas will see rain totals of 4 to 8 inches, hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge.

Melissa may still be a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday night or Friday morning when it passes near or over Bermuda.

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(NEW YORK) — At least one person was killed and six others wounded in a shooting Saturday night at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, according to authorities.

Chester County District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe said in a Sunday morning news conference that the shooting occurred outside the university’s International Cultural Center during homecoming celebrations following a football game.

“This is a devastating night,” Barrena-Sarobe said. “It was a chaotic scene and people fled in every direction.”

One person was detained and was in possession of a firearm, Barrena-Sarobe said, adding that it was possible that there might be another shooter. Officials do not believe that the incident was a planned mass shooting, the district attorney said.

“We are investigating with the full power of federal, state and local law enforcement,” Barrena-Sarobe said.

The Chester County District Attorney’s Office said in an initial statement on social media early on Sunday that law enforcement was “investigating the shooting at Lincoln University” and had identified seven gunshot victims.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a post to X that he was briefed on the shooting and offered his support to the university.

Lincoln University, a historically Black university, is located in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania.

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(LUMBERTON, N.C) — At least two people were killed and seven others are in critical condition after a mass shooting took place early Saturday at a large party in North Carolina, according to officials.

A total of 13 people were shot in the incident just outside of Maxton, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.

Over 150 people ran from the scene of the shooting before law enforcement arrived, according to the sheriff’s office.

The shooting was an isolated incident and there is no current threat to the community, according to the sheriff’s office. 

“We are asking that anyone with information regarding this incident or anyone that was at the scene when the shooting occurred, to make contact with Sheriff’s Investigators by calling 910-671-3100 or email sheriff.wilkins@robesoncountysonc.gov,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. 

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