The mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher in Virginia earlier this year pleaded guilty to federal gun charges Monday.
Deja Taylor was charged last week with illegally using drugs while owning a firearm and making a false statement about using marijuana when she purchased the gun, court records show. Her son used the weapon to shoot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner in January.
Taylor, who is also was charged in state court in connection with the shooting, could face up to 25 years in prison on the federal charges, but Taylor’s attorneys agreed to a negotiated plea agreement with prosecutors that calls for a sentence of 18 to 24 months in prison.
“Federal requirements for firearm ownership are not optional and exist to protect owners, their family members, and the communities where they live,” Jessica D. Aber, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement after the plea hearing. “Failing to abide by those requirements when purchasing or possessing a firearm can have far-reaching consequences.”
PREVIOUSLY:Deja Taylor, mother of 6-year-old who shot teacher in Virginia, to face new federal gun charges
What are the charges filed against Deja Taylor?
Prosecutors allege Taylor knew she was an “unlawful user of marijuana” when she bought a gun last year, but she indicated she wasn’t on a form, according to court documents.
Although it’s legal to grow or have weed in Virginia, it is still considered a controlled substance under federal law, which generally prohibits people from possession of firearms if they are an unlawful user of a controlled substance, among other things.
Taylor also was arrested in April and charged in state court with felony child neglect and recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child, a misdemeanor. She is expected to stand trial in August and faces up to six years in prison if convicted on those charges.
Her lawyer Gene Rossi called the case “a perfect storm of horrible consequences.”
“It’s a terrible tragedy because a wonderful teacher’s life was almost taken, but it’s also a tragedy because a very young boy, a very young son got hold somehow of a gun owned by Ms. Deja Taylor,” Rossi told USA TODAY. “Ms. Taylor’s role in this tragedy is a complete accident, but she will have forever have guilt for what her son did.”
Sentencing set for October
Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 18 on the federal charges. Rossi said he expects Zwerner and other school officials may testify at the sentencing hearing, but Diane Toscano, Zwerner’s lawyer, said that’s not for sure.
James Ellenson, another lawyer for Taylor, said in a statement that Taylor’s legal team will present “mitigating evidence,” which they hope will be taken into consideration during sentencing.
Ellenson said he had “very constructive negotiations with federal authorities” about the plea.
What happened the day of the shooting?
Taylor’s son, who has not been identified, shot Zwerner on Jan. 6 while she was reading to students in her classroom at Richneck Elementary in Newport News, Virginia. Zwerner was shot in the hand and the chest, according to police.
The top prosecutor handling the case told reporters in March the child would not face any charges. Ellenson previously said it is unclear how the boy got the gun, which was secured with a trigger lock and stored on a high shelf in a closet.
“The attorney’s statements that the gun was safely secured defied common sense, now we know it also defied the evidence,” Toscano, Zwerner’s lawyer, said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The school district was repeatedly warned the boy might have a gun the day of the shooting, according to a $40 million lawsuit Zwerner filed alleging gross negligence. The boy had a history of behavioral challenges and violence towards teachers, the lawsuit said.
Taylor has said her son has ADHD. The boy’s family also said he was typically accompanied to class by a parent as part of a care plan with the school, but he was unaccompanied for the first time the week of the shooting because his behavior had improved.
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Contributing: The Associated Press
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