Deja Taylor: Mom charged with felony child neglect after son, 6, shot teacher Abby Zwerner
NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA: The case that gained national and global attention on January 6, when a six-year-old child shot 25-year-old teacher Abigail Zwerner at an elementary school in Newport News, Virginia, has developed a new twist. Recent developments reveal that the boy's mother has been charged in connection with the shocking incident.
A grand jury in Newport News charged Deja Nicole Taylor, 25, on Monday with two charges, a felony child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a firearm so as to endanger a child, Daily Press reported.
READ MORE
Abigail Zwerner: Virginia teacher shot by first-grader files $40 million lawsuit against school
Connecticut school sued as staffers 'ignore' boy, 5, for 9 minutes as he lay dying in playground
Investigation ongoing to determine others' criminal involvement
"Their investigation will continue as long as necessary to determine whether others are criminally responsible for the shooting of January 6," the Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office wrote in a news release Monday afternoon as per the outlet.
Newport News Police Department and the relevant authorities conducted a comprehensive investigation, which led to criminal charges against the mother of the six-year-old. The statement, as per the report, further mentioned that the decision to charge was based on the facts and the applicable laws, justifying the felony and misdemeanor charges against Deja Taylor.
Breaking: Mother of six-year-old school shooter indicted pic.twitter.com/gm8XeOm68K
— John Cowley IV (@JohnCowleyIV) April 10, 2023
'Every criminal case is unique in its facts'
“Every criminal case is unique in its facts, and these facts support these charges, but our investigation into the shooting continues,” said Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn.
The awful news of Zwerner's shooting sparked an uproar. The single bullet penetrated her left hand before striking her upper chest, where it is now lodged. Despite being shot, the teacher was reportedly concerned for the children and was the last to leave the classroom after she had gotten all of her students out and fell on her knees outside as she moved to get help from the school office.
The charges against Taylor, as per Virginia law, are punishable for up to five years. Taylor has not been arrested on the accusations, and her defense counsel, James Ellenson, has stated that prosecutors have agreed to allow him to escort Taylor to the police station to turn herself in. Taylor as per Ellenson maintains that the handgun was secured and that she has "no idea" how his son got access to it.
$40 million lawsuit filed by Zwerner
In a $40 million lawsuit filed by Zwerner last week against the New Port News school board, she contended Richneck Assistant Principal Ebony Parker, rejected many clear signs that the youngster had a gun on him that day. In the lawsuit, two days before the incident, the youngster took and tossed Zwerner's cell phone, shattering the glass. This resulted in a one-day suspension.
Child's 'violent mood' on the day
On that fateful day, Zwerner informed Parker that a boy was in a "violent mood" and had threatened to beat up a kindergartener during lunch, but Parker ignored her concerns. Later, during recess, Zwerner informed a reading specialist and another teacher that she had seen the boy take something out of his backpack in the classroom. The reading specialist searched the boy's backpack but did not find a weapon. The first-grader allegedly showed a gun to other students during recess.
Despite concerns raised by the teacher, the school did not take action. The incident is now being investigated by a special grand jury, which has the power to look into the conduct of school officials. The Commonwealth Attorney's Office has stated its commitment to ensuring the safety of the community, particularly children, and will refrain from making further comments to avoid interfering with the trial.