**Mother Of 6-Year-Old Who Shot Virginia Teacher Arrested**

Mother Of 6-Year-Old Who Shot Virginia Teacher Arrested

Three months after a 6-year-old in Newport News, Virginia shot his first-grade teacher, **police have arrested the boy's mother and charged her with child neglect and failing to properly secure her handgun.**

_Associated Press_said (https://apnews.com/article/newport-news-teacher-shooting-boy-zwerner-9f1a885a6a74bc92f48771b54e77d192) it "isn't naming the mother to shield the identity of her son." However, citing a  Newport News release, _ABC News_ and others have identified her as **25-year-old Deja Taylor.** Saying she exhibited a **"reckless disregard for human life,"** prosecutors are asking for bail to be set at $5,000 (https://nypost.com/2023/04/12/mom-of-6-year-old-school-shooter-will-turn-herself-in/). She has no prior criminal record.

?itok=PorSsSUA\

**Deja Taylor faces up to six years in prison**(Newport News booking photo) (?itok=PorSsSUA)

**In Virginia, it's a misdemeanor crime to leave a loaded gun accessible to a child under 14**, with a penalty of up to a year in prison and a $2,500 fine. However, **the child neglect charge is a felony**. Together, she faces up to a six-year sentence.

On Jan. 6, 25-year-old first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner was critically wounded (https://www.zerohedge.com/political/6-year-old-shoots-teacher-virginia-elementary-school) when the boy shot her once with his mother's 9mm Taurus handgun, which she'd legally purchased. Zwerner was seated at a table when **the boy -- who'd firmly established a pattern of behavior problems and disturbing incidents** with staff and students -- suddenly opened fire.

While there was no confrontation immediately before the shooting, it came one day after the boy was issued a one-day suspension for breaking Zwerner's cell phone.

**Earlier, the shooter's parents claimed the pistol had a trigger lock and was "secured" on the top shelf** of the mother's closet (https://nypost.com/2023/03/08/virginia-6-year-old-who-shot-teacher-wont-be-charged-but-parents-could-be/). They also said (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/6-year-old-shot-teacher-newport-news-wont-face-criminal-charges-prosec-rcna70794) they've "always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children."

?itok=vnm2bj5J\

**First-grade teacher Abby Zwerner** (Facebook) (?itok=vnm2bj5J)

Last month (https://www.zerohedge.com/political/prosecutor-wont-charge-6-year-old-who-shot-teacher-unsure-about-parents), the Newport News prosecutor announced he would not press charges against the six-year-old. Prosecutor Howard Gwynn said **the "prospect that a 6-year-old can stand trial is problematic"** **because, at that age, a child can't comprehend the legal system** or collaborate with an attorney working to defend him.

The young shooter is said to have an "acute disability." **He'd already established a pattern of behavior problems and troubling incidents** with students and staff alike, including throwing furniture and other objects, and writing a note to a teacher in which he said he wanted to kill her by setting her on fire (https://nypost.com/2023/01/21/boy-who-shot-abigail-zwerner-told-another-he-wanted-to-set-her-on-fire/).

On Tuesday, prosecutors announced they're assessing whether "actions or omissions" of school employees amount to criminal acts. Meanwhile, critically wounded with a single shot that passed through her hand and struck her chest, **Zwerner has filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school**.

On the day of the shooting, **a school staff member searched his backpack on a tip that the child might be packing heat.** They didn't find it, and administrators chose not to involve the police. The search happened around 11:30 am and the shooting took place about two-and-a-half hours later.

Other school staff members have spoken out against **school officials' disregard of warnings about the shooter and a tendency to ignore other problem students**in a drive to bolster the school's ratings (https://www.zerohedge.com/political/after-teacher-shot-6-year-old-staff-and-parents-blame-tolerance-violent-kids).

Tyler Durden (https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden)Fri, 04/14/2023 - 17:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/mother-6-year-old-who-shot-teacher-arrested