The mother of the 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher at Richneck Elementary earlier this year now faces two charges, according to the Daily Press.
A grand jury on Monday indicted Deja Nicole Taylor, 25, on charges of felony child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a firearm so as to endanger a child.
The report says prosecutors have also asked a Circuit Court judge to impanel a “special grand jury” to “continue the investigation into any security issues that may have contributed to this shooting.”
This could include school administrators and Newport News Public Schools.
The Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said Monday that after an investigation, “the facts and the law support charging Deja Taylor.”
In January, a first-grader shot his teacher, Abigail Zwerner, who has filed a $40 million lawsuit in the case.
The lawsuit filed in Newport News Circuit Court recently mentions three defendants.
The first to be mentioned is Richneck’s former Assistant Principal, Ebony Parker, who has been accused of breaching her assumed duty to protect Zwerner despite many reports of a firearm being on school property.
The other names include former school superintendent George Parker III who was removed after a vote from the school board, and former principal Briana Foster Newton, who was transferred to a different role within the district.
Zwerner and her attorney plan to note in her suit that she continues to suffer from physical pain and mental anguish following the shooting.
Both Zwerner and her attorney are seeking a trial by jury.
