US: Mother of 6-Year-Old Teacher Shooter Indicted

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Facts

• On Monday, Deja Taylor, the mother of a six-year-old boy who shot an elementary school teacher in Newport News, Va., in January was indicted by a grand jury on felony child neglect and a firearms charge.¹
• The unidentified boy shot Abby Zwerner in her Richneck Elementary School classroom with a gun that, according to police, was legally purchased by Taylor. An attorney for Taylor said the weapon had a trigger lock and was stored on the top shelf of a closet.²
• The boy’s family described him as having an “acute disability,” which usually required him to have parental supervision in class. The week of the shooting was his first without such supervision. The school confirmed it received warnings he had a weapon before the shooting but didn't find a gun when searching his belongings.³
• The boy will not be charged. Beyond charges against Taylor, Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn is seeking a special grand jury to determine if there were security issues at the school that led to the shooting.⁴
• Zwerner, who spent two weeks in the hospital, where she had four surgical procedures, has sued the Newport News schoolboard, the former superintendent, the former assistant principal, and the principal for $40M for negligence.⁵
• These charges come a month after an appeals court in Michigan ruled the parents of a teenager who pleaded guilty to a mass shooting at a high school could face involuntary manslaughter charges.³

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Associated Press, ³Al Jazeera, ⁴CBS and ⁵Guardian.

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.