Mother of 6-year-old who shot Virginia teacher to plead guilty in new federal case

The mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot a teacher at a Virginia elementary school in January was charged Monday with federal gun offenses, and her attorney said she plans to enter guilty pleas to the new counts as part of a deal with prosecutors.

Deja Taylor, 26, of Newport News, Va., was charged in federal court in Newport News with illegally using drugs while possessing a firearm and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, according to a criminal information. Federal law bars those who use illegal drugs from possessing firearms, and the charge alleges that Taylor did not disclose to authorities that she used marijuana when she bought a gun.

Taylor was charged in state court in April with a felony count of child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly storing a firearm so a child could gain access to it in connection with the high-profile shooting at Newport News’s Richneck Elementary School. Authorities say the boy used a handgun purchased by Taylor to shoot his first-grade teacher, 25-year-old Abigail Zwerner.

The U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia declined to comment on the new charges, but James Ellenson, an attorney for Taylor, said in a statement that he expects his client to plead guilty to the federal counts later this week or early next week. The state charges are still pending.

Ellenson declined to discuss the terms of the federal plea deal and said they would be revealed at the plea hearing, but he said he had “very constructive” negotiations with federal authorities. He said he also plans to present mitigating evidence on Taylor’s behalf but declined to detail it.

“The shooting that occurred on January 6, 2023, at Richneck Elementary School was a tragedy for all parties, most especially teacher Abby Zwerner for whom we wish a complete recovery,” Ellenson said in his statement.

The shooting grabbed national attention because of the age of the child. Newport News police said Taylor’s son brought the gun to school in his backpack and used it to fire on Zwerner as she taught a lesson near the end of the school day. The bullet went through Zwerner’s hand and lodged in her chest, leaving her seriously injured.

Zwerner was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, but is now recovering at home after multiple surgeries.

Zwerner alleges in a $40 million lawsuit that an administrator at Richneck refused to heed at least three warnings that the boy had a gun on the day of the shooting. Zwerner said the boy had a history of “random violence” and had smashed her phone two days before the shooting occurred.

Ellenson said previously that the gun had been stored on the top shelf of a closet with a trigger lock attached. He said Taylor did not know how the boy got hold of the weapon. Newport News police have not commented on that characterization.

Parents and teachers accused the school district of failing to do enough to stem violence on the city’s campuses. The Newport News schools superintendent was forced out after the shooting.

A special grand jury in Newport News is still examining the events that led up to the shooting, and people familiar with the investigation have said previously that Richneck’s then-assistant principal, Ebony Parker, was among those whose conduct was being explored. Zwerner accused Parker of failing to do anything about the warnings that the boy had a gun. Parker, who later resigned, has not responded to requests for comment.

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The Washington Post’s Salvador Rizzo contributed to this report.