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The mother of a 6-year-old boy who opened fire on his teacher in a Virginia classroom in January has been charged.
A grand jury in Newport News, Virginia,has voted to charge Deja Taylorwith child neglect, a felony, and recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child, a misdemeanor, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney announced in a press release on Monday.
The office added that its investigation with the Newport News Police “determined that the facts and the law support charging Deja Taylor, the mother of the six-year-old child alleged to have shot his teacher at Richneck Elementary School, with these two offenses.”
Commonwealth’s Attorney, Howard Gwynn, said in the announcement, “Every criminal case is unique in its facts, and these facts support these charges, but our investigation into the shooting continues.”
Along with issuing the charges, the Commonwealth’s Attorney wants the local circuit court to have a special grand jury look into any “security issues” that possibly led to the shooting.
On Jan. 6, Abigail Zwerner was in herfirst-grade classroomat Richneck Elementary School when one of her students shot her. She raised her hand and the bullet went through her hand and then struck her chest.
Shortly after the shooting, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said at apress conferencethat the young student was taken into custody and Drew described the shooting as intentional. Gwynn toldNBC Newsin early March that the 6-year-old would not face charges, saying that the “prospect that a 6-year-old can stand trial is problematic.”
RELATED VIDEO: Family of 6-Year-Old Accused of Intentionally Shooting Teacher Speaks Out
Earlier this month, Zwernerfiled a lawsuitagainst the administrators of her school for $40 million.
Shenamed several defendantsin her lawsuit, including the School Board of Richneck Elementary School where the incident took place, former schools Superintendent George Parker III, former Richneck Principal Briana Foster Newton, and former Richneck Vice Principal Ebony Parker, PEOPLE confirmed.
Specifically, the suit alleges that she breached “her assumed duty” to protect Zwerner, “despite multiple reports that a firearm was on school property and likely in possession of a violent individual.”
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In the suit, Zwerner said she now suffers from “physical pain and mental anguish.” New details about the child involved in the incident were also revealed in the suit, including an incident from the prior school year in which the then-5-year-old allegedly strangled and choked a teacher.
He was reportedly removed from Richneck Elementary after the incident, the suit added but wasallowed to returnfor the current 2022-2023 school year.
Other alleged incidents, including inappropriately touching a classmate on the playground during recess, cursing at classmates and teachers, and chasing other children around with a belt and threatening to hurt them, are also noted in the lawsuit.
source: people.com
