Deja Taylor: Mother whose six-year-old boy shot teacher sentenced to two years in prison for child neglect

COMMONWEALTH, VIRGINIA: Taking his mother's gun reportedly from her handbag, Deja Taylor's six-year-old son shot his first-grade teacher, Abigail Zwerner, in a Virginia classroom. The mother, 25, who previously admitted to felony child neglect earlier this year in April, received a five-year prison sentence with three years suspended.

This is on top of the 21 months Taylor is currently serving for an earlier conviction of admitting to use of marijuana while in possession of a firearm, according to a statement from the Commonwealth District Attorney's office that Law&Crime obtained on Friday, December 15. 

Prosecutors noted that she would need "substance abuse treatment, parenting classes, and mental health treatment" as part of her two-year supervised probationary sentence.

Have charges been brought against the child?

No charges were brought against the six-year-old boy as the Commonwealth prosecutors agreed to drop a misdemeanor charge of reckless storage of a firearm as part of Taylor's plea agreement.

The court determined that the "circumstances of the shooting justified exceeding the state sentencing guidelines high-end recommendation of six months active jail time" even though the prosecution had only requested six months of jail time and she could have received up to five years.

On January 6, Zwerner, a 25-year-old teacher at Richneck Elementary School, was shot in her classroom by Taylor's son. She suffered a punctured lung in addition to broken bones from being struck in the hand and chest.

Abigail Zwerner filed a lawsuit against the Newport News School Board

Following Taylor's plea in April, she filed a lawsuit against the Newport News School Board, the superintendent of the district, and the principal of Richneck Elementary.

Zwerner claimed that school administrators were aware of the child's "history of violence" and that they knew he had access to a gun on the day she was shot.

His past included incidents in which he "inappropriately touched" a young girl who was a classmate after she fell on the playground and "strangled and choked" a teacher.

According to the complaint, the boy "pulled her dress up" and wouldn't stop touching her until a teacher "reprimanded him." After that, there were other incidents, one of which involved the boy allegedly chasing students while brandishing a belt in an attempt to whip them while cursing at faculty and staff.

A behavioral-based learning plan was eventually implemented as a result of all the outbursts, requiring a parent to accompany the boy to all of his classes.

Before Zwerner was shot, a fellow teacher is said to have informed administrators that she had received a tip from a student that the boy was carrying a gun. Cluelessly, the student reported to the teacher that the boy had threatened to shoot him if he revealed the existence of the weapon.

Zwerner also claimed that an hour before the incident, one more teacher had attempted to look for the boy's hidden gun but had been denied permission by administrators.

Meanwhile, in May, Taylor spoke with the press, about a month after being accused of neglect. Even though she apologized for what had happened, she said she thought her son felt "ignored" by Zwerner.

Taylor described her son, reportedly diagnosed with ADHD, as a "great kid" who was unable to "sit still ever" due to his hyperactivity. Having said that, in spring, she told the outlet that the child "actually really liked" Zwerner. 

The mother noted that the incident where the teacher's phone was smashed was really an accident. 

Prior to Taylor's sentencing on Friday, local Virginia news station WTOP revealed that Zwerner's lawsuit is still pending. She wants the school district to give her $40 million.

In the meantime, the school district has unsuccessfully attempted to have the complaint dismissed.

Zwerner, who is no longer employed by the district, claims that the shooting-related anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and fear of children are the reasons she stopped teaching.

She apparently also has to deal with mobility problems, making it difficult for her to perform everyday tasks like tying her shoes.

"There were multiple failures in accountability that led to Abby being shot and almost killed while teaching class — and our focus remains fixed on the school district’s inaction and failure to protect teachers and students," wrote Zwerner's attorney, Diana Toscano, in an email to Law&Crime.

Six-year-old boy shot his teacher Abigail Zwerner with a 9 mm handgun retrieved from his mother's handbag

The boy would later tell investigators that he had climbed a set of drawers in his home to reach into the top of a dresser where the weapon was stored inside Taylor's handbag, despite the initial disagreement over how the child obtained his mother's 9 mm handgun.

Taylor claimed in her initial interview with investigators following the shooting that she believed the gun, which they later verified was lawfully acquired, had been locked with a "trigger lock."

However, it was stipulated in her plea deal, as Law&Crime reported in August, that no gun safe or trigger lock could be located.

According to NewsNation, the child has been moved to a new school, is receiving mental health treatment, and has been cared for by his great-grandfather.

Agitated by the incident, the Newport News Public Schools school board removed senior leadership, including the superintendent, in a 5-1 vote, as reported by CNN in January. Moreover, Ebony Parker resigned from her position as assistant principal at Richneck Elementary.