NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — As we wrap up the one-year mark of the Richneck school shooting — which rocked the nation. Six Richneck parents filing a lawsuit against Newport News school administrators.
Families of Richneck students file lawsuit
The suit alleges that Richneck and Newport News school administrators “failed the students” on Jan. 6, 2023.
“Unfortunately for these very young children, they associate school with trauma and all of that could have been prevented with one phone call,” said Emily Brannon, attorney for the families.
Brannon explains to WAVY news the lawsuit addresses failures to report a gun on school grounds to police, gross negligence and emotional trauma. Each lawsuit seeks $3 million dollars and punitive damages.
Mark Anthony Garcia Sr., a Richneck parent, believes the shooting could have been prevented. Garcia spoke with 10 On Your Side last year – following the shooting explaining several security concerns he had prior to the incident.
Ahead of the one-year mark Garcia said, “My son is still experiencing a lot of anxiety, depression, a lot of nightmares still about the situation.”
Garcia explains his son’s class was just feet away from where the first grader shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner.
“My son was trying to calm everybody down and telling students, ‘Hey, if we be quiet, maybe the shooter won’t get us.’ My son was being a leader when he didn’t know how to be a leader in that situation,” he said.
Garcia adds he found out about the school shooting on WAVY-TV 10 news.
“We got no text message, no email, no phone call… not one call,” said Garcia. “By the time we got there, the area was cornered off. It was about two miles and we had to walk.”
Garcia said he recorded the former Superintendent as he made parents wait, citing miscommunications among school leaders.
“They let us get our children after, two to four hours. Some people didn’t get their child until six to eight hours. They were out there for a very long time.”
Following the shooting, Garcia said he volunteered as a cafeteria monitor until he removed his child from the school.
“My son still looked over his shoulder every single day, even though I sat there every single morning. [I] gave high fives and daps to all of the kids to as they went in that school. I didn’t leave until the last child got into that school every single day. I know that this situation is heart wrenching for everybody!”
Garcia adds he hopes the lawsuit will provide, “the answers that we have been asking for a very long time… We deserve that.”