Current:Home > MyMother of 6-year-old boy who shot his Virginia teacher faces two new federal charges -Stellar Wealth Sphere
Mother of 6-year-old boy who shot his Virginia teacher faces two new federal charges
View
Date:2025-04-25 20:21:00
The mother of a 6-year-old boy accused of shooting and seriously wounding his first-grade teacher earlier this year in Virginia faces two new federal charges, according to court documents filed on Monday.
Deja Taylor is accused of unlawfully using a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. The new charges follow felony charges filed in April accusing Taylor of child neglect and endangerment.
Taylor "knowingly made a false and fictitious written statement to Winfree Firearms," a gun shop in Grafton, Va., from which she purchased a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, court documents filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia allege. The documents also allege that Taylor falsely claimed on Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives application forms that she did not use marijuana despite unlawfully using the drug.
Abby Zwerner, a 25-year-old teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, was shot in the hand and chest by a student on Jan. 6 as she sat at a reading table in her classroom. She spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and has had four surgeries since the shooting.
While the boy was not charged in connection with the shooting, a grand jury returned an indictment charging his mother with "felony child neglect and misdemeanor recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child," Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn said in April. Taylor will return to court in August to face those charges, CBS affiliate WTVR reported.
The boy used his mother's gun, police said, which had been purchased legally.
Family members said the gun was secured. They also noted the 6-year-old boy suffers from an acute disability.
Zwerner in April filed a $40 million lawsuit, accusing school officials of gross negligence for allegedly ignoring multiple warnings that the boy had a gun and was in a "violent mood" on the day of the shooting.
S. DevS. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Elmo wrote a simple tweet that revealed widespread existential dread. Now, the president has weighed in.
- California man who blamed twin brother for cold case rapes of girl and jogger is sentenced to 140 years in prison
- 'Redemption': Wedding photographer's free portraits for addicts put face on recovery
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Bachelor Nation’s Bryan Abasolo Reacts to Speculation About Cause of Rachel Lindsay Breakup
- Israel says 3 terror suspects killed in rare raid inside West Bank hospital
- AP Decision Notes: What to expect in South Carolina’s Democratic presidential primary
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Here's how much water you need to drink each day, converted for Stanley cup devotees
Ranking
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Cher Denied Conservatorship of Son Elijah Blue Allman
- Golden Bachelor Stars Join Joey Graziadei's Journey—But It's Not What You Think
- As Dry January ends, what's next? What to know about drinking again—or quitting alcohol for good
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Laser strikes against aircraft including airline planes have surged to a new record, the FAA says
- Stop picking on 49ers' QB Brock Purdy. He takes so much heat for 'absolutely no reason'
- Militants in eastern Congo kill 12 villagers as country’s leader rules out talks with Rwanda
Recommendation
Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
Margot Robbie Breaks Silence on Oscars Nomination Snub for Barbie Role
Cher Denied Conservatorship of Son Elijah Blue Allman
Days of Darkness: How one woman escaped the conspiracy theory trap that has ensnared millions
Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
Aly & AJ’s Aly Michalka Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Husband Stephen Ringer
Everything You Need to Keep Warm and Look Cute During Marshmallow Weather
Student, dad arrested after San Diego school shooting threat; grenades, guns found in home