NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — It's been nearly three years since Abigail Zwerner, the former Richneck Elementary School teacher, was shot by her 6-year-old student in the classroom.

On Jan. 6, 2023, Zwerner was giving a lesson to her class in the afternoon when a student, known to have behavioral issues, pulled out a gun he stole from his mom and shot Zwerner. She raised a hand to shield herself, but the bullet ripped through that hand and pierced her chest. She fell to the ground bleeding, thinking she was dying — even that she might be dead.

Zwerner survived, but both her mental and physical recovery have been an arduous journey. Her relationships with her family, who by all accounts have been supportive, are strained. A young teacher — 25 at the time she was shot — who has been described as pro

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