First-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner is still working to recover more than two months after she was shot by a student inside her Virginia classroom.
“It has been a challenge. I’ve been through many obstacles and challenges,” the 25-year-old teacher told “TODAY” co-host Savannah Guthrie.
“Some days are not so good, where I can’t get out of bed. Some days are better than others, where I can get out of bed and make it to my appointments.”
Zwerner was seriously injured in her classroom at Richneck Elementary on January 6. She was reading a book when a student pulled out her mother’s 9mm pistol and began shooting. Zwerner was hit in the chest and again in the left hand, but she still managed to escort her 20 students out of the classroom and away from danger.
She was hospitalized for two weeks and continues to recover at home. On Monday, Zwerner revealed that she still hasn’t regained full function in her injured hand, making everyday tasks like getting dressed or opening a jar nearly impossible.
Doctors aren’t sure if he will ever fully heal.
“But, you know, to get through what I’ve been through, I try to stay positive,” she said. “You know, try to have a positive perspective on what happened and where my future is headed.”
Earlier this month, Howard Gwynn, the local prosecutor, said that while a 6-year-old could be criminally charged under Virginia law, he would not press charges against the student.
However, the boy’s parents could still face charges. They maintained that the firearm, a legally purchased handgun, was hidden on the top shelf of the mother’s closet and was equipped with a trigger safety.