Deja Taylor, the mother of a six-year-old boy who shot his teacher at Richneck Elementary, has been sentenced to two years in prison for child neglect.
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As previously reported, Taylor pleaded guilty in August to state child felony neglect in connection to the shooting in Newport News and was previously sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to using marijuana while in possession of a fire. The charge also included Taylor making a false statement about her drug use during the purchase of a firearm. According to ABC News, federal prosecutors said the weapon was purchased in July 2022, and ATF agents didn’t find a lockbox or a key to keeping it secured.
Her six-year-old son brought the firearm into his classroom, where he shot and wounded his teacher, Abby Zwerner, on Jan. 6. The bullet entered through Zwerner’s hand and into her chest. A judge sentenced Taylor to five years with three years suspended, and she will also serve two years of probation when released. Her sentencing also includes substance abuse treatment, parenting classes, and mental health treatment.
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The sentence will be consecutively served with Taylor’s current federal 21-month sentence. Taylor’s attorney, James Ellenson, said in August that he believed she shouldn’t have received jail time for the child neglect charge.
“There were other persons who should be held accountable and while that does not diminish her role, that, along with her mental state following several miscarriages, as well as her being a victim of domestic abuse are mitigating factors.”
Zwerner filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school district, citing negligence. A judge ruled her lawsuit can proceed despite the district’s lawyers claiming her injuries are covered through the state’s worker compensation law.