Mother of six-year-old who shot his teacher charged with child neglect
PICTURED: Mother of six-year-old Virginia boy who shot his first grade teacher is seen in mugshot after being charged with child neglect
- Deja Taylor, 25, is facing several criminal charges after her six-year-old son shot his first-grade teacher in January
- The teacher, Abigail Zwerner, was shot in the hand and chest after the boy stole his mother’s gun and took it to school
- Taylor was released on a $5,000 bond after being charged with child neglect and endangering a child by reckless storage of a firearm
The mother of a six-year-old Virginia boy who shot his first-grade teacher in a classroom has been pictured for the first time as she faces several criminal charges months after the near-tragedy.
Deja Taylor, 25, was indicted by a grand jury earlier this week on charges of child neglect and endangering a child by reckless storage of a firearm, and was arraigned Friday morning after posting a $5000 bond.
She turned herself in Thursday for outstanding warrants stemming from the horror shooting of teacher Abigail Zwerner, 25, on January 6.
The schoolboy stole his mother’s legally purchased handgun and snuck it into school, before firing a single round into his teacher, striking her in the hand and chest.
Deja Taylor, 25, is facing several criminal charges three months after her six-year-old son shot his first-grade teacher
Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, where the shooting occurred. Several parents have filed a lawsuit against the school for not protecting their kids
Taylor’s arrest comes over three months after her son shot and wounded Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia.
Her attorney, James Ellensen, told AP: ‘She is nervous and scared, because she has never been charged before, but holding up well.’
The investigation into the shooting has not been closed following Taylor’s arraignment, and several parents at the elementary school have filed lawsuits for allegedly failing to protect their kids.
Virginia’s Commonwealth Attorney Howard Gwynn previously said in a statement that the facts of the case ‘support these charges’ but added ‘out investigation into the shooting continues’.
Gwynn said his office has petitioned the court to empanel a special grand jury to continue an investigation into any security issues that may have contributed to the shooting.
The ongoing probe could lead to more individuals being charged in connection to the shooting.
‘The safety and security of Newport News students is of utmost importance,’ Gwynn added.
‘The Special Grand Jury will investigate to determine whether additional charges against additional persons are justified by the facts and the law.’
Taylor’s lawyer said she was ‘nervous and scared, because she has never been charged before, but holding up well’
Abbey Zwerner, 25, had just finished reading a story when the child pulled out the handgun and shot her in the chest at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News on January 6
Despite her brush with death, Abby says she is excited to return to teaching
Taylor is facing felony charges of child neglect, which is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The mom has also been charged with a misdemeanor offence of endangering a child by reckless storage of a firearm, which carried a maximum penalty of one year behind bars.
Her attorney Ellensen has claimed that the gun used on Zwerner was secured on a top shelf in her closet and had a trigger lock.
Zwerner, 25, has been hailed as a hero in the small Virginia community after it emerged she rushed her students out of the classroom after being shot, before seeking medical attention for herself.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the child’s family said the boy suffers from an ‘acute disability’ and was under a plan that saw ‘his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day.’
The week of the shooting was the first when a parent was not in class with him, the family claimed.
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