Mother of 6-year-old who shot Virginia teacher sentenced to two years in prison

The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his teacher in Newport News, Virginia, was sentenced to two years in prison on state child neglect charges on Friday.

Deja Taylor had pleaded guilty to the state charges in August. Taylor’s son shot Abigail Zwerner, 26, on Jan. 6 at Richneck Elementary School. Zwerner was injured in the shooting but escorted the other children out of the classroom. The teacher did not return to teach at the school this school year.

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Circuit Court Judge Christopher Papile sentenced Taylor to the sentence along with two years of probation, which will include parenting classes and treatment for substance abuse and mental health. Prosecutors had recommended six months in prison for Taylor.

Billy Schuerman/AP

Taylor was sentenced to 21 months in prison last month on federal charges related to the January shooting. She pleaded guilty to the federal charges, which include illegally using drugs while owning a firearm and making a false statement when she purchased the gun.

Unsealed search warrants showed that Taylor’s son bragged about shooting Zwerner in the immediate aftermath of the incident, including claiming that he “shot that b**** dead.”

“I did it,” the boy allegedly said. “I got my mom’s gun last night.”

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In the months following the incident, Taylor has expressed regret for the shooting and has taken responsibility for her child’s actions against Zwerner.

“That is my son, so I am, as a parent, obviously, willing to take responsibility for him because he can’t take responsibility for himself,” Taylor said in an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America earlier this year.