Newly unsealed court documents have given insight into how a 6-year-old allegedly got ahold of his mother's gun and shot a first grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. The boy allegedly attacked Abigail Zwerner as she was reading to her class on January 6. We are now learning more about the role Deja Taylor, the boy's mother, allegedly played.
According to court documents obtained by NBC News, Taylor, 25, owned the 9mm semiautomatic handgun reportedly used in the shooting. The mother allegedly told Newport News Police she believed the gun was in her purse with a trigger lock. The mother claimed she had no idea her son had the weapon.
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Police said Taylor purchased the gun legally.
Newport News Police said the gun in the mother's possession was obtained through the proper channels. According to a probable cause statement shared by NBC News, police are continuing to investigate whether the firearm was properly secured, as the boy's family claims.
Taylor reportedly told police she "stores her firearm in her purse with a trigger lock in place, or in a lock box," according to a probable cause statement. She added that she kept the key under a mattress in her bedroom.
The child allegedly admitted to shooting Zwerner.
Court documents stated that another teacher heard a gunshot and saw Zwerner and her students running for the door. The teacher claimed the 6-year-old was standing next to a desk, and she held him until police arrived. Documents said the teacher allegedly heard the boy say, "I shot that b—- dead."
An attorney for the family claimed the boy was in therapy.
James Ellenson, an attorney representing the family, responded to releasing the court documents and alleged the accused shooter has "severe emotional issues," NBC News reported.
"He is in therapy and improving daily," he wrote in an email to the network. "We wish to thank the dedicated professionals working with him."
Taylor is embroiled in a separate case related to marijuana use.
The Virginian Pilot reported in June 2023, that Taylor pleaded guilty to federal charges of possessing a firearm while also having marijuana. She also faces charges at the state level. She also pleaded guilty to lying on a background check to obtain a gun that asked if she was a marijuana smoker. The newspaper explained that the drug is legal in Virginia, but still illegal under federal law.
"Taylor admits that she was a daily user of marijuana and marijuana products for approximately 11 years," court documents stated. "The defendant admits that her chronic use of marijuana was not recreational, and it affected her behavior."
According to documents, police pulled Taylor over for speeding in April 2021, and found excessive marijuana and unidentified substances in her car.
"Marijuana was in plain view inside the vehicle, so the officer conducted a search of the vehicle," the statement of facts said. "Directly next to the boy 'were several marijuana edibles that looked like rice treats.' The adult's backpack contained 'suspected crack cocaine,' two large bags of marijuana, oxycodone pills, and more."
The Virginian Pilot reported that according to the court documents, a search of Taylor's home by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco uncovered an additional 24.5 grams of marijuana in addition to other drug paraphernalia.
Her state trial is set for August. According to ABC News, she could spend up to six years in prison if she is convicted on state charges. The federal charges to which she has pleaded guilty could result in up to 25 years in prison, but sentencing guidelines call for 18 months to 24 months in prison.
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Zwerner wants the school district to pay for what happened to her.
The Associated Press reported in July, that a judge has allowed Zwerner's attorney to proceed with interviewing eyewitnesses and reviewing the boy's disciplinary files and other relevant documents as the first-grade teacher pursues a $40 million lawsuit against the Newport News School District.
Zwerner alleges the district ignored her warning on the day of the shooting that the 6-year-old "was in a violent mood." He allegedly stared down a security guard and threatened to beat up another child the same day.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims that other students warned the administration that the boy had a gun, but a search of his backpack came up with nothing, so they allegedly moved on.
The school district argued that Zwerner had workplace-related injuries, making it a worker's compensation case. It reportedly provides up to 500 weeks of benefits and will cover Zwerner's medical care for her injuries for the rest of her life.
NBC News reported in March 2023, that the case is complex, but something more should have been done.
"There were failures on multiple levels in this case, and there were adults that were in positions of authority that could have prevented this tragedy from happening and did not," lawyer Diane Toscano said.
