Defendant Deja Taylor, mother of the boy who opened fire in the classroom
THE WASHINGTON POST SCREENSHOT
The New York Times reported on June 13 that the mother in the case of a 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher in Virginia (USA) has just pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges of buying a gun and possessing a gun while under the influence of drugs.
Defendant Deja Taylor, 25, was previously charged with child neglect and endangerment in connection with her son's access to a gun in the January incident.
This time, federal authorities focused on the defendant’s purchase and possession of a gun, which he admitted to illegally possessing. While recreational drug use is legal in Virginia, federal law prohibits people who are addicted to or “illegally” use drugs from possessing a gun.
The charges are the latest development in a case that has drawn national attention amid debate over gun ownership and school safety in the United States.
How many people have guns killed in the US this year?
The incident occurred on January 6 at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, shocking the community due to the age of the perpetrator and raising questions about the school's response as well as the boy's access to weapons.
Teacher Abigail Zwerner was teaching when the boy pulled out a gun, aimed, and fired a shot. The bullet passed through his hand and hit him in the chest, seriously wounding him but he survived. The boy was not charged.
According to court documents, federal agents searched a trash can at Taylor’s home in the days after the shooting and found drugs. They later found drugs in her purse and in the bedroom she shared with her mother.
Prosecutors said Ms Taylor admitted her long-term drug use was not for recreational purposes and had affected her behaviour.
In July 2022, Ms. Taylor purchased a gun at Winfree Firearms in Yorktown, Virginia, and falsely claimed that she was not “an unlawful user or addict of marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic, or other controlled substance.”
Taylor's attorney Gene Rossi said his client is expected to be sentenced in October, with a sentence of no more than two years in prison.
Source link
Comment (0)