The mother of a 6-year-old Virginia boy who reportedly shot his teacher in January pleaded guilty to felony neglect on Tuesday.
The Richneck Elementary student reportedly shot Abigail Zwerner, 25, with his mother’s gun on January 6 as Zwerner taught 20 other students. The boy’s mother, Deja Taylor, claimed the handgun had a trigger lock and was stowed on the top shelf of a bedroom closet — but her son told cops that he took it from her purse by standing on a dresser drawer, according to The Virginian-Pilot.
After shooting Zwerner in the chest and hand, the boy allegedly said, “I did it” and “I got my mom’s gun last night.”
Court documents cited a prior CPS report about the boy playing with a gun at his grandmother’s home in June 2022, seven months before the incident at the school.
In June, Taylor pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally obtaining and possessing a firearm and making a false statement while purchasing a firearm. In the neglect case, prosecutors agreed to drop a charge pertaining to Taylor leaving her handgun where her son could get it. Sentencing in both cases is scheduled for October.
The Virginian-Pilot reported that the boy, who is now 7, is in his great-grandfather’s custody. The great-grandfather said the child is “progressing” in light of the shooting.
Zwerner’s lawyer, Diane Toscano, alleged that three teachers went to administrators about the boy’s behavior on the day of the shooting, including Zwerner. Zwerner reportedly told administrators that the student had threatened to beat up a classmate. Later, another teacher reportedly told administrators that they searched his backpack.
Though the gun was not located, that teacher said the gun may be in the boy’s pocket.
According to Toscano, a third teacher informed administrators that the boy brandished a gun at recess and threatened to shoot a classmate if he told. The lawyer also claimed that another teacher asked to search the boy but administrators denied the request as they wanted to “wait [out] the situation out because the school day was almost over.”
Superintendent George Parker III previously stated that “at least one administrator” was aware of a possible weapon in the boy’s possession prior to the shooting. On the day of the shooting, the boy reportedly arrived at school late and his backpack was inspected in the front office.
It remains unclear why the gun was not located during that check.
According to WTKR, days after the shooting investigators spoke with a kindergarten teacher who said that in 2021, the boy approached her from behind and choked her “to the point she could not breathe.” Investigators determined that school officials did not properly report this incident to CPS.
In April, Zwerner filed a $40 million lawsuit against the Newport News School Board and school officials for negligence. The boy, who was not publicly named, was never charged in connection with the shooting.
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[Featured image: Abigail Zwerner/GoFundMe]
