Boy Who Shot VA Teacher Took Gun From Mother's Purse, No Trigger Lock: Prosecutor

NEWPORT NEWS, VA — The mother of a first-grader at Richneck Elementary School accused of shooting his teacher pleaded guilty Tuesday to child neglect and a firearms charge, according to multiple news reports. And prosecutors said that contrary to the family's claims, the boy took the unlocked gun from his mother's purse.

Deja Taylor, 26, was charged with felony child neglect and could serve up to six months in state prison based on prosecutors' recommendation. She will be sentenced Oct. 27, NBC News reported.

As part of a plea deal, a misdemeanor charge of recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child — was dropped. That allows Taylor to avoid a potential six-year prison sentence, reports said.

Taylor's 6-year-old son, who police say shot his first-grade teacher at a Newport News elementary school earlier this year, boasted about the shooting, telling school officials he "shot that b---- dead," according to unsealed redacted search warrants obtained by WTKR-TV earlier this month.

Taylor owned the gun her son used to shoot first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner during class, and admitted in court it was stored in such a way that the boy could access it, the Washington Post reported.

After the shooting, Taylor’s attorney had said it was unclear how the boy got obtained the gun because it was stored with a trigger lock on the top shelf of a bedroom closet.

But a prosecutor said in court Tuesday thechild took the gun from his mother’s purse, which was on top of a dresser. The gun was not secured with a trigger lock, the prosecutor said.

“I stole it because I needed to shoot my teacher,” the prosecutor said the boy told investigators.

Taylor had previously pleaded guilty to federal charges that she lied on a background check during the purchase of the handgun and used marijuana while possessing the firearm. She is scheduled to be sentenced on those counts on Oct. 18.

Documents released in early August further detailed the Jan. 6 shooting at Richneck Elementary School, where police said the boy used his mother's 9mm handgun to shoot teacher Abigail Zwerner, who survived the attack. Police said the boy took the gun to school and pulled it from his backpack before using it to shoot Zwerner.

Related: VA Boy, 6, Boasted About Shooting Teacher With Mom's Gun: Report

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.

Zwerner spent two weeks in the hospital before she was released.

According to the documents obtained by WTKR, the boy made the comments when a staff member restrained him after the shooting, saying, "I did it" and "I got my mom's gun last night."

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.

Before the shooting, the boy also choked another teacher "until she couldn't breathe" and tried to whip other students with his belt, according to legal records obtained by The Associated Press. The incidents were detailed in a notice sent to the Newport News school district by an attorney for Zwerner, who has filed a $40 million lawsuit against the district.

According to the notice obtained, the boy allegedly "slammed" Zwerner's cell phone and broke it. School officials gave him a one-day suspension, but when he returned to class the following day, he shot Zwerner while she sat at a reading table, the notice said.

The notice also said an unnamed teacher confirmed a choking incident in 2021. The teacher said the boy came up behind her as she sat in a chair, locked his forearms in front of her neck, and pulled back and down, The AP reported. A teaching assistant was able to pull the boy off her.

The legal notice also detailed Zwerner's account of the shooting and contained a timeline describing how Zwerner, three other teachers and a guidance counselor expressed concerns to administrators about the child possibly having a gun.

School administrators have also been accused of downplaying the boy's behavior and repeatedly ignoring Zwerner's requests for help, according to a Washington Post report. Teachers told the Post that Zwerner alerted school officials about the boy's behavior and repeatedly sought assistance during the school year.

In a May interview with "Good Morning America," the boy's mother claimed responsibility for the shooting 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.

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