The elementary school teacher shot by a 6-year-old student breaks her silence about the tragic ordeal.
For the first time ever, Abigail Zwerner, recalls the moments leading up to the shooting. “I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me,” she said. “That’s something that I will never forget. It’s changed me. It’s changed my life.”
A day before the shooting the student was suspended for breaking the teacher’s cell phone and had several issues with other staff members and students.
Zwerner remembers looking over the book she was reading to see the young student pointing a 9mm handgun in her direction. The bullet would tear through her left hand, shattering the bones before lodging in her chest, where it still is.
Despite being severely injured, Zwerner was quick to grab the other students and get them out to safety. “That was pretty shocking itself. But I just wanted to get my babies out of there,” she said.
The brave teacher suffered a collapsed lung, and a shattered hand that required pins to keep stable, however, she isn’t sure if it will ever be functional again. Although she suffers from nightmares, she uses the incident to move forward in a positive way.
“It helps me remember to take each day as they come. Each day is special. I’m still here. I believe it made it here for a reason,” Zwerner said.
The student has since been held in temporary detention at a medical facility and was being treated for an acute disability. The gun belongs to his mother and it was reportedly legally purchased.
We’re keeping Abigail Zwerner in our thoughts and prayers as she gets through this tough time.