The mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher while at school has been charged with recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child. A grand jury also voted to charge Deja Taylor with child neglect, which is a felony.
Virginia’s Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney announced the charges on April 10, 2023.
The office also explained that the grand jury “determined that the facts and the law support charging Deja Taylor, the mother of the six-year-old child alleged to have shot his teacher at Richneck Elementary School, with these two offenses.”
The Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn also stated, “Every criminal case is unique in its facts, and these facts support these charges, but our investigation into the shooting continues.”
Gwynn added, “The safety and security of Newport News students is of utmost importance. The Special Grand Jury will investigate to determine whether additional charges against additional persons are justified by the facts and the law. If the Special Grand Jury determines that additional persons are criminally responsible under the law, it can return additional indictments.”
Taylor’s attorney confirmed that she will turn herself in by April 14, 2023.
