NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The mother of the 6-year-old boy who police say shot his first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary School in January will now have a plea hearing instead of a bench trial next month, according to online court records.
Deja Taylor is set to appear in court to face two charges: felony child neglect and a misdemeanor count of leaving a firearm in a way that could endanger a child.
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She was charged just over three months after police say her son shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner, in a first-grade Richneck Elementary classroom on January 6.
Taylor’s lawyer, James Ellenson, previously said that he and his client were hoping to work out a plea deal for the charges. He also told us Taylor faced mental health issues after having an ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage, which he said contributed to the shooting.
"That resulted in postpartum depression and that has been a large factor in a number of the events that led up to the unfortunate event on January 6," Ellenson told us in April.
Taylor also faces federal gun and drug charges. She has already pleaded guilty to being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
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She’s scheduled to appear in court on August 15 for her plea hearing. On October 18, she’s set to appear in court to be sentenced for the federal gun and drug charges she faces.
