Mother of 6-Year-Old Who Shot Teacher Faces Federal Gun Charges

Facts

• Deja Nicole Taylor, the mother of the six-year-old boy accused of shooting his teacher at Richneck Elementary in Newport News, Va., is facing federal charges of unlawful use of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.¹
• She also faces one felony count of child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a firearm to endanger a child, which could put her in prison for up to six years. Earlier this year, she reportedly said she was "willing to take responsibility."²
• The unidentified boy, whose family says he has an "acute disability" requiring parental supervision in class, shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner, who spent two weeks in the hospital and underwent four surgeries. The week of the shooting was his first without supervision.³
• Taylor will reportedly plead guilty to the new charges, with her lawyer saying she's already reached a deal with prosecutors. While marijuana is legal in Virginia, it is one of the controlled substances prospective gun buyers must admit to before buying a gun.²
• While Taylor said her son "felt like he was being ignored" leading up to the incident, Ms. Zwerner claims she warned the school about his behavior in the past. She is now suing the school district for $40M over those claims.⁴
• Taylor's lawyer, Jimmy Ellenson, says his client has been very cooperative throughout the entire process, agreeing to police interviews and consenting to a home and cell phone search. Court hearings for the new charges are expected in the coming weeks.⁵

Sources: ¹Axios, ²Independent, ³ITN, ⁴New York Post, and ⁵News 3 WTKR Norfolk.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Law & Crime. Charging Taylor for this incident is just a small first step toward justice for Zwerner. Charges against the school should also be seriously considered, as everyone involved with this avoidable tragedy should be held accountable.
• Narrative B, as provided by Education Week. This incident shouldn’t inspire a search for justice — it should motivate gun owners and politicians to advocate for better gun safety, including tighter regulations on storing guns out of the reach of children.
• Narrative C, as provided by USA Today. Whether you're pro- or anti-gun, we should all accept that American children do not and will not live in a gun-free world. Richneck Elementary administrators were warned multiple times about the boy potentially bringing a gun to school, which shows teachers, parents, and students lack the understanding of how seriously dangerous these weapons are. If guns are going to exist in the public, firearm safety classes may be a good tool to help prevent some of these incidents.

Predictions