The mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher in Virginia is expected to enter a guilty plea in federal court on Monday. Deja Taylor is facing charges for using marijuana while in possession of a firearm, a violation of U.S. law. Taylor allegedly lied about her marijuana use on a form when purchasing the gun that her son later used to shoot Abby Zwerner, his first-grade teacher. Zwerner suffered serious injuries and has undergone multiple surgeries.
It’s important to note that Taylor is also facing separate charges at the state level, including felony child neglect and reckless storage of a firearm. A trial for these counts is scheduled for August. The aftermath of the January shooting has had far-reaching consequences for the city of Newport News.
Although marijuana is legal in many U.S. states, it remains a controlled substance under federal law and is heavily regulated. The federal charges against Taylor are relatively uncommon, especially given the evolving legal status of marijuana. However, court documents do not specify the exact details of how federal investigators built their case against Taylor, who has faced scrutiny following the shooting.
According to federal authorities, Taylor knowingly purchased the gun last year despite being an unlawful user of marijuana and denied her use on the required form. Under federal law, individuals who have been convicted of a felony, committed to a mental institution, or are unlawful users of controlled substances are generally prohibited from possessing firearms.
There has been ongoing debate about the allocation of resources in aggressively pursuing individuals who provide false information on background check forms. A 2018 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office revealed that only a small percentage of individuals who falsify information on forms and are denied purchase are actually prosecuted.
Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the pro-legalization group Marijuana Policy Project, has raised concerns about the potential racial disparities in prosecutions. In the fiscal year 2021, about 56% of the approximately 7,500 people convicted of breaking the law were Black, according to statistics from the United States Sentencing Commission. O’Keefe did not have specific data on convictions related to marijuana or other drug use.
While the federal case against Taylor, who is Black, carries a maximum sentence of 25 years, sentencing guidelines suggest a prison term of 18 to 24 months, according to her lawyers. If convicted on the state charges, Taylor could face up to six years in prison.
Zwerner, the injured teacher, was shot in the hand and chest while seated at a reading table at Richneck Elementary. She spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and has since expressed ongoing physical and emotional difficulties. Zwerner has filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school system.
Taylor’s attorney in the state case, James Ellenson, has stated that she believed the gun was secured on a high closet shelf with a trigger lock before the shooting occurred. It remains unclear how the boy gained access to the gun.
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