Mom Of Boy, 6, Who Shot Teacher Facing New Drug-Related Gun Charges

NEWPORT NEWS, VA — The mother of a 6-year-old boy who police said shot his first-grade teacher at a Newport News elementary school is facing new federal charges, including using a controlled substance while in possession of a handgun, according to court documents filed Monday.

Deja Nicole Taylor is also accused of lying on a federal background check when she purchased a gun in 2022, according to court documents.

Taylor plans to plead guilty to the new charges as part of a deal with prosecutors, her attorney told The Washington Post.

According to police, Taylor's son used his mother's 9mm handgun to shoot Richneck Elementary School teacher Abigail Zwerner on Jan. 6. Police said the boy took the gun to school, pulled it from his backpack, and used it to shoot Zwerner.

Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew has repeatedly characterized the shooting as "intentional," saying the boy aimed at Zwerner and fired one round, striking her in the hand and chest. The shot resulted in severe injuries, including a lung collapse.

Taylor was previously charged with felony child neglect and failing to secure the handgun used in the shooting.

In a statement released shortly after the shooting, the boy's family said their son suffered from an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school.

Last month, Taylor claimed responsibility for the shooting in an interview with "Good Morning America" while revealing her son's ADHD diagnosis. Taylor described her son as a "great" but "very energetic" kid, according to the interview.

"I am, as a parent, obviously willing to take responsibility for him because he can't take responsibility" for himself, she said in the interview.

Taylor also said her son "really liked" Zwerner and stated the boy told her "he felt like he was being ignored" the week of the shooting.

Zwerner has filed a $40 million lawsuit alleging school administrators ignored multiple warnings that the boy had a history of random violence and posed a threat to teachers and other students, according to the lawsuit.

In response to Zwerner's lawsuit, Newport News school officials argued that a court doesn't have jurisdiction and filed a motion to dismiss the case. In the motion, school officials said the possibility of violence in the classroom is a risk all teachers take.

"While in an ideal world, young children would not pose any danger to others, including their teachers, this is sadly not reality," the motion stated.

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