Federal firearms charges have been brought against the mother of the Virginia elementary school student who, according to authorities, shot his teacher in January.
According to court records, Deja Taylor, the mother of the 6-year-old boy accused by police of shooting Abby Zwerner of Richneck Elementary School, is facing federal charges of illegal possession of a firearm and making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm. She “used marijuana unlawfully,” according to the report.
Taylor was charged with felony child negligence and misdemeanor recklessly leaving a loaded handgun so as to endanger a kid in an April grand jury indictment.
A Taurus model PT111, G2A 9mm semiautomatic handgun was in Taylor’s possession “on or about July 19, 2022,” according to the court document. Taylor was also aware that she was using drugs illegally at the time.
The tweet below confirms the news:
Mother of 6-year-old who shot Richneck Elementary teacher now facing federal charges https://t.co/ffSXEFB3Vh via @13NewsNow
— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) June 5, 2023
Additionally, it claims that she “knowingly made a false and fictitious written statement to Winfree Firearms,” claiming not to be a marijuana user in violation of the law “when in fact, she then knew she was an unlawful user of marijuana.”
In January, as Zwerner was seated at a reading table in her classroom at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, she was shot in the hand and the chest. The 25-year-old teacher underwent four procedures and spent over two weeks in the hospital.
The incident shocked the nation and the military shipbuilding industry, leaving many to wonder how a little youngster could obtain a firearm and sh**t his teacher.
Attorneys representing Zwerner filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school district, accusing the school board and three former officials of willful misconduct and gross negligence. According to the lawsuit, despite many warnings, they did not shield Zwerner from the pupil.
Late in April, attorneys for the school district and the former administrators submitted a petition requesting that Zwerner’s lawsuit be dismissed by the judge in Newport News Circuit Court.
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They maintained that because Zwerner was shot while performing her job, her injuries are covered by the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act. The legislation offers benefits to workers damaged on the job, but it forbids them from suing their employers if the injury occurred while they were performing their tasks.
In a statement to Nexstar’s WAVY, Zwerner’s attorneys said:
No one believes that a first grade teacher should expect that one of the risks of teaching first grade is that you might get shot by a 6-year-old. The school board’s position is contrary to how every citizen in Newport News thinks teachers should be treated, and the law does not support the board’s position. Teachers across the district will be alarmed to learn their employer sees this as part of the job description.
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