PICTURED: Mother of six-year-old Virginia boy who shot his first-grade teacher is seen mugshot after being charged with child neglect
- Deja Taylor, 25, faces 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 brought it to school
- Taylor was released on $5,000 bail after being charged with child neglect and endangering a child through 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 photographed 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 through reckless storage of a firearm, and was arraigned Friday morning after posting $5,000 bail.
She turned herself in on Thursday for outstanding warrants stemming from the horror shooting of teacher Abigail Zwerner, 25, on Jan. 6.
The schoolboy stole his mother’s legally purchased gun and sneaked it into school, before firing a single bullet at his teacher, hitting her in the hand and chest.
Deja Taylor, 25, faces 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 took place. Several parents have filed a lawsuit against the school for failing to protect their children
Taylor’s arrest comes more than three months after her son shot and wounded Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia.
Her attorney, James Ellensen, told the AP, “She’s nervous and scared because she’s never been charged before, but she’s holding her own.”
The investigation into the shooting has not closed following Taylor’s indictment, and several elementary school parents have filed lawsuits alleging negligence in protecting their children.
Commonwealth of Virginia attorney Howard Gwynn previously said in a statement that the facts of the case “support these allegations,” but added “our investigation into the shooting continues.”
Gwynn said his office has asked the court to convene a special grand jury to continue its investigation into any security issues that may have contributed to the shooting.
The ongoing investigation may result in more individuals being charged in connection with the shooting.
“The safety and security of Newport News students is of the utmost importance,” Gwynn added.
“The Special Grand Jury will consider whether additional charges against additional persons are warranted by the facts and the law.”
Taylor’s lawyer said she was “nervous and scared because she’s never been charged before but is holding up well”
Abbey Zwerner, 25, had just finished reading a story when the kid pulled out the gun and shot her in the chest on Jan. 6 at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News
Despite her terror, Abby says she’s excited to be teaching again
Taylor is charged with child neglect, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The mother has also been charged with a felony of endangering a child by reckless storage of a firearm, which carried a maximum sentence of one year behind bars.
Her attorney Ellensen has claimed that the gun used on Zwerner was mounted on a top shelf in her closet and had a trigger lock.
Zwerner, 25, is hailed as a hero in the small Virginia community after she was found to rush her students out of class after being shot before seeking medical help for herself.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the child’s family said the boy suffers from an “acute disability” and had a plan where “his mother or father went to school with him and accompanied him to class every day.”
The week of the shooting was the first time a parent was not in his class, the family claimed.
