A grand jury in Virginia has charged the mother of a six-year-old pupil who shot and wounded his teacher with child neglect and failing to secure her handgun, a prosecutor has announced.
The jury in the city of Newport News charged Deja Taylor with felony child neglect and misdemeanour child endangerment by leaving a loaded firearm unattended.
The boy shot his teacher, Abby Zwerner, at Richneck Elementary School in January with the firearm that had been legally purchased by his mother.
“Every criminal case is unique in its facts, and these facts support these charges, but our investigation into the shooting continues,” said Virginia Commonwealth Attorney Howard Gwynn on Monday.
Mr Gwynn said the grand jury can issue other indictments if it finds other people are criminally responsible.
“The special grand jury will investigate to determine whether additional charges against additional persons are justified by the facts and the law,” he said.
James Ellenson, Ms Taylor's lawyer, said the gun was secured in the top shelf of her wardrobe with a trigger lock. Ms Taylor intends on surrendering to authorities this week.
Police said that the pupil, whose identity has been concealed, was having a discussion with Ms Zwerner when he pulled a pistol out of his backpack and shot her.
A lawyer for Ms Zwerner said she intends to sue school authorities over the shooting, alleging that they had neglected warnings that the pupil posed a threat.
The lawyer said Ms Zwerner warned school administrators several times and others that the child could have a gun. On the day of the shooting, she reportedly told administrators that the pupil had threatened to hit another child.
Two other teachers warned school administrators, the lawyer said. One teacher had warned that the child apparently had brought a gun to school and another reported that one pupil had seen the gun and was threatened.
The boy's family said he has an “acute disability” and that he has been admitted to hospital. Ms Zwerner is recovering from her injuries at home.
The Newport News school board sacked the district superintendent. The school principal remains employed but holds a different position.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
