NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The mother of the 6-year-old boy who allegedly shot a Richneck Elementary School teacher earlier this year was indicted by a grand jury on Monday.
The 25-year-old is charged with felony child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a firearm that endangers a child.
Now, Deja Taylor is expected to turn herself in later this week, according to her attorney James Ellenson.
The charges come after an investigation by the Newport News Police Department and the city's Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, who say the facts and the law support charges against Taylor.
There is a lot of new information coming in about this case, so let’s rewind to January when this all started:
Frantic parents ran to the scene at Richneck Elementary School the afternoon of January 6th after police responded to a shooting.
We later learned the shooter was a six-year-old boy and the victim was 25-year-old Abby Zwerner, his teacher.
"My heart stopped. I was freaking out. Very nervous just wondering was that one person my son," parent Joselin Glover said at the time.
Zwerner spent the following days and weeks recovering in the hospital after being shot in the hand and chest while inside her classroom.
"I will tell you this, I know she is a hero," Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew has said of Zwerner for leading her students out of harm's way before getting help for herself.
In the aftermath, the Newport News School Division announced metal detectors would be installed in every school and numerous leadership changes happened within the division, including the firing Superintendent Dr. George Parker on January 25th.
On March 8, The Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney told 13News Now he believes the law does not support charging the 6-year-old.
On April 3, the legal team for Zwerner filed a $40 million lawsuit against several Newport News Public Schools officials, accusing them of "recklessly disregarding the safety" of everyone on school grounds for ignoring several warnings regarding the six-year-old student.
"The psychological wounds cut deeply and remain fresh," Zwerner's attorney, Diane Toscano said during a press conference on January 25th.
The lawyer for Richneck's former principal released a public response to the lawsuit later on April 3, saying Briana Foster-Newton would "vigorously" defend herself and suggesting she may file a countersuit.
That brings us to April 10th, when a Newport News grand jury has charged the 6-year-old’s mother, Deja Taylor, with felony child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a firearm that endangers a child.
Police said Taylor legally purchased the gun and her attorney, James Ellenson, has said the gun was secured on a top shelf in her closet and had a trigger lock.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn wrote that the facts of the case support these charges, and the investigation will continue until they determine whether or not anyone else involved will face charges.
Gwynn also announced he filed a petition in Newport News Circuit Court to create a Special Grand Jury, which will continue an investigation into “any security issues that may have contributed to this shooting.”
“There were failures in accountability at multiple levels that led to Abby being shot and almost killed," Zwerner's Attorney Diane Toscano said.
"Today’s announcement addresses but one of those failures. It has been three months of investigation and still so many unanswered questions remain. Our lawsuit makes clear that we believe the school division violated state law, and we are pursuing this in civil court. We will not allow school leaders to escape accountability for their role in this tragedy.”
In June 2023, Taylor pleaded guilty to lying on her gun permit paperwork in 2021 about using marijuana at the time she bought her 9mm handgun. Police said that was he same gun Taylor's son used to shoot Zwerner.
Then, in September, a judge ordered her to remain on bond after federal prosecutors said she failed multiple drug tests -- which had positive results for marijuana and once for cocaine -- and didn't show up to some of her counseling meetings -- violating her bond agreement.
James Ellenson, Taylor's attorney, argued that marijuana can live in the body for up to 30 days for a chronic user of marijuana, and that the results do not necessarily indiciate consistent use and violation.
Taylor's probation officer claimed the now 26-year-old had a negative drug test on Sept. 11 and she had shown up to her latest phase testing, showing some progress.
On Wednesday, Sept. 25, Taylor was sentenced to nearly two years in prison on federal gun crimes.