Mother of boy, 6, who shot teacher in class jailed over child neglect
The mum of a six-year-old boy who shot his teacher in class has been sentenced after being found guilty of child neglect.
Deja Taylor was given a two-year prison sentence by Circuit Court Judge Christopher Papile, which is much harsher than the maximum six-month sentence that prosecutors agreed to recommend as part of a plea deal.
Taylor, 26, pleaded guilty to a single count of felony neglect in August and as part of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop a misdemeanor count of recklessly storing a firearm. The judge said the sentencing guidelines did not consider the psychological and emotional impact the shooting had on first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner, or other students and staff at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News.
Zwerner was seriously hurt when the young boy shot her, hitting her hand and chest. She needed prolonged hospital treatment which included five operations and has been left too upset to teach again. "We are lucky that it was not somebody killed at Richneck Elementary," said Judge Papile.
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Abby Zwerner was shot at school (Facebook)The court heard how the boy bragged about the shooting, saying to someone at school, "I shot that b**** dead." He admitted to police, "I did it" and "I got my mom's gun last night." After he shot his teacher, the school's security caught him.
Before her most recent sentencing, his mum Taylor had previously been handed 21 months in jail for having a gun while using marijuana, which is against the law. Now, her total time in jail stretches almost four years.
Taylor's son told police he climbed onto a drawer and reached the top of a dresser to get his mum's 9mm gun from her handbag. He hid the weapon in his backpack and then his pocket before shooting Zwerner in front of her year one class.
Originally, Taylor claimed she had secured her gun with a trigger lock, but investigators found no evidence of one. Prosecutor Travis White said the boy, now 7, struggled with "basic socialisation" and suffered from PTSD and insomnia, among other disorders.
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Abby Zwerner was shot at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia (Facebook)
Abby Zwerner's shooting shocked the nation (No credit)"That is the depths of neglect that Deja Taylor inflicted on her child," stated Travis White. The prosecutor called the shooting "a consequence and manifestation of that neglect." Post-shooting, the lad spent 227 days in inpatient care, attended by a team of doctors, psychiatrists and clinicians, according to White.
The lad now lives with his great-grandfather, Calvin Taylor. After the court hearing, Calvin told press he believes Judge Papile's sentence was "excessive." He said Deja tried to get help for her son pre-shooting but there was no assist from child protective services.
Taylor remained silent in Friday's court hearing as her attorney, James Ellenson, presented her struggles with addiction and domestic abuse. He told the court Taylor, only 26, has been smoking cannabis "all day, every day" since she was 15. "Who knows what the effects were on that teenage brain?" he posed.
Abby Zwerner was shot at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia (Getty Images)Earlier this year, Ellenson mentioned "mitigating circumstances," including Taylor's miscarriages and postpartum depression. She also has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a condition sharing symptoms with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, according to court documents.
Taylor told ABC's "Good Morning America" in May that she feels responsible and apologized to Zwerner. "That is my son, so I am, as a parent, obviously willing to take responsibility for him because he can't take responsibility for himself," Taylor said. During her sentencing in federal court last month, one of Taylor's attorneys read aloud a brief statement in which Taylor said she would feel remorse "for the rest of my life."
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Deja Nicole Taylor, the mother of the 6-year-old shooter at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, is escorted out by her grandfather, Calvin Taylor, (TNS)During the sentencing hearing Friday, Zwerner recalled the shooting, telling the judge: "I was not sure whether it would be my final moment on earth." She said she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, and has difficulty sleeping. "The shooting has instilled many fears in me that will remain forever," she said.
The teacher, who's afraid of working with children now, won't be returning to her profession. She stated: "Now, at 26 years old, what am I supposed to do?" and added, "My life will never be close to the same again."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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