The mother of a 6-year-old Virginia student who shot his teacher was arrested on Thursday, more than three months after the incident took place.
Deja Taylor, who is the mother of the unnamed student, was indicted by a grand jury on Monday on charges of felony child neglect and a misdemeanor of recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child after her son brought a gun to school and shot his first-grade teacher, Abigail Zwerner, 25, on Jan. 6.
MOTHER OF 6-YEAR-OLD WHO SHOT TEACHER INDICTED BY VIRGINIA GRAND JURY
Taylor was released from police custody after posting a $5,000 bond and will have a status hearing sometime on Friday in Newport News Circuit Court, James Ellenson, her attorney, said.
“She is nervous and scared because she has never been charged before, but holding up well,” Ellenson wrote in an email Thursday to the Associated Press.
If Taylor is convicted, she may face up to five years in prison for the felony charge and up to one year for the misdemeanor.
Zwerner is suing the school district for $40 million after it was revealed the school was warned three times about the student and received a tip the day of the shooting that he might have a weapon in his backpack. School officials said they checked his bag but did not locate a weapon.
The city prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday that it would investigate whether the “actions or omission” of the school employees could lead to additional criminal charges related to the shooting.
While she was teaching, the student pointed the gun at Zwerner and shot her in the hand and chest, causing her to spend two weeks in a hospital.
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The student used a legally purchased gun owned by Taylor to shoot Zwerner. The firearm was “secured,” according to the family. Police determined that the shooting was intentional, but no charges will be filed against the boy at this time.
The 6-year-old boy was taken to a medical facility to receive services and undergo analysis. His family said the boy has an acute disability, and typically, his mother or father would accompany him to class every day. However, the week of the shooting was the first that a parent was not with him, the family said.
