I made some notes (or a timeline of sorts) about what can be found in full in Zwerner's full complaint >>>
DocumentCloud
attached in the
Law and Crime article.
Abigail Zwerner = AZ
6-year-old that shot AZ = JD / "John Doe"
JD was known by administrators to have been violent both at school and at home in the past. At school, he had previously attacked both students and teachers alike.
During the 2021-2022 school year
- JD was in kindergarten
- JD pulled up a student's dress after she fell on the playground and touched her inappropriately until he was reprimanded by a teacher
- JD strangled and choked his teacher (on a different day, as I understand it) and was removed from the school
- JD was then sent to Denbigh Early Childhood Center for his violent behavior
At the start of the 2022-2023 school year
- JD was allowed to return to Richneck Elementary
In the fall of the 2022-2023 school year
- JD chased students on the playground and tried to whip them with his belt
- JD was then given a modified schedule that required one of his parents to accompany him at school at all times
- JD's parents did not agree to place JD in a special education classroom with other children with behavioral issues
January 4, 2023
- JD grabbed AZ's phone and smashed it on the ground (causing the screen to shatter and break)
- AZ took JD to the Head Teacher's classroom and called school security (they did not respond)
- AZ then called the Guidance Counselor's office
- the Guidance Counselor and an admin responded to the classroom in reference to JD's behavior
- JD called them "b*tches" and was suspended for one day
January 6, 2023
11:15 - 11:30 am
- JD's mother took him to school but didn't accompany him inside
- AZ went to the assistant principal's office and reported that JD was alone and in a "violent mood", that he threatened to beat up a kindergartner at lunch and stared down a security officer
- the Assistant Principal ignored AZ and even refused to look up and acknowledge her
- another teacher was also in the office at this time and witnessed AZ being ignored
11:45 am
- 2 students notified the Reading Specialist that JD had a gun in his backpack
- the Reading Specialist asked JD if he had a gun; he said no but refused to hand over his backpack
- JD told the Reading Specialist that he was mad people were picking on his friend Ron Doe
12:30 - Recess
- AZ notified the Head Teacher that she saw JD take something out of his backpack and was worried he had a weapon
- AZ watched JD and Ron Doe going back and forth behind the rock climbing wall
- AZ told the Reading Specialist that she saw JD take something out of his backpack and put it in the pocket of his hoodie
- Reading Specialist searched JD's backpack in her room while he was still at recess and didn't find a gun
- Reading Specialist went to the front office and told the Assistant Principal that JD had told students he had a gun, that AZ watched him take something out of his backpack, and that she'd searched his backpack but didn't find the gun
- Assistant Principal told the Reading Specialist that JD's pockets were too small to hold a gun and did nothing
1:00 pm - Recess Ended
- the Head Teacher pulled Ron Doe out of AZ's class to ask about his interactions with JD on the playground during recess
- Ron Doe was upset and crying and told the Head Teacher he couldn't say because JD said he'd hurt him if he told anyone
- Ron Doe then told the Head Teacher that JD had shown him that he had a gun in his pocket
- Head Teacher decided to keep Ron Doe in her classroom because he was afraid of JD
- Head Teacher called the office and the Music Teacher answered
- Head Teacher relayed the conversation she'd had with Ron Doe to the Music Teacher and the Music Teacher said he'd relay the information to the Assistant Principal
1:11 pm
- Music Teacher called the Head Teacher back and confirmed that he'd relayed the information to the Assistant Principal
- Assistant Principal told the Music Teacher that she was aware of the threat, that JD's backpack had been searched, and took no further action
- the Guidance Counselor visited the Head Teacher's room and the Head Teacher relayed the conversation she'd had with Ron Doe
- the Guidance Counselor went to the office and requested permission from the Assistant Principal to search JD for a gun
- the Assistant Principal denied the Guidance Counselor permission to search JD because she said his mom would be there to pick him up soon
1:59 pm
- JD pulled the gun out of his pocket and shot AZ
I think it's important to note how these events differ from the claims made by the Assistant Principal's attorney that imply AZ could have prevented the shooting.
The AP's attorney has claimed that Ron Doe told
Abby that JD had a gun while they were in the classroom and she responded by telling him to sit down and be quiet. According to their story, that's when Ron Doe ran to another teacher's classroom because he was scared and upset.
In AZ's complaint, it says the Head Teacher went to Abby's classroom and specifically pulled Ron Doe out of class to ask him what John Doe was doing behind the climbing wall at recess. Ron Doe became upset and initially said he couldn't tell her because John Doe had threatened to hurt him. However, he eventually tells the HT about seeing the gun and HT then keeps him in her classroom because he's scared and upset. IIRC, AZ's narrative also matches up with early news reports.
Lawyer: Administrators were warned 3 times the day boy shot teacher
Shortly after 1 p.m., another teacher told an administrator that a different student who was "crying and fearful" said the boy showed him the gun during recess and threatened to shoot him if he told anyone. Again, no action was taken, she said.
ETA: Link to article where I found the full complaint.
ETA #2: Spelled out assistant principal, head teacher, guidance counselor, and music teacher because all of the initials were too confusing
