NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Deja Taylor, the mother of the 6-year-old boy who police said shot his first-grade teacher at Richneck Elementary SchoolNewport News, will be turning herself in later this week, according to a new statement from her attorney.
TIMELINE: Everything we know about the shooting at Richneck and the aftermath
James Ellenson, Taylor's attorney, said she "has cooperated from day one of the incident," and added she has no criminal record.
Here's Ellenson's full statement released to News 3 Tuesday night:
"Deja has cooperated from the first day of the incident. She has no criminal record. She is 26 years old. She has one child.
Most criminal prosecutions are adversarial in nature, but we will make our best efforts so that these proceedings will be more collaborative than most. I have been practicing law in Newport News since 1981, and hope that the relationships developed over the years will aid in producing a result which is satisfactory to all parties. As always, first and foremost is the continued health and wellbeing of all persons involved in the incident at Richneck Elementary School, to include both the teacher and Deja's son.
Deja will be turning herself in before the end of the week. The Commonwealth Attorney has recommended a surety bond of $5000 and pre-trial supervision, which we also think is reasonable. This is a good first step towards a just resolution of the charges."
A special grand jury is now investigating the case, and that could lead to additional criminal indictments.
On Monday, a grand jury indicted Taylor with felony child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a firearm in a manner that could endanger a child.
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Police said Taylor's son shot Abby Zwerner on Jan. 6 in a classroom at Richneck Elementary School.
The Commonwealth's Attorney in Newport News has petitioned to create a special grand jury to investigate security issues that contributed to the shooting. The special grand jury will spend six months investigating current and former Richneck school staff, as well as the Newport News school system with the possibility of more charges down the line.
