Grand Jury Indicts the Mother of a 6-Year-Old Boy Who Shot His Virginia Teacher

The announcement of an indictment comes a month after the prosecutor said he would not seek charges against the student

Published April 10, 2023 • Updated on April 10, 2023 at 3:24 pm

FILE – Messages of support for teacher Abby Zwerner, who was shot by a 6-year-old student, grace the front door of Richneck Elementary School Newport News, Va. on Jan. 9, 2023. — AP Photo/John C. Clark, File

The mother of a 6-year-old boy who seriously wounded his teacher with a gun in January will face charges in the shooting, a local prosecutor in Virginia said Monday.

A grand jury indicted the mother, Deja Taylor, and charged her with felony child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child, Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn said.

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The announcement of an indictment comes a month after Gwynn said he would not seek charges against the student, but was weighing whether to hold any adults criminally liable.

Police in Newport News, Virginia, say the shooting was not accidental.