The court in the American state of Virginia gave 26-year-old Deja Taylor a 21-month prison sentence on Wednesday for, among other things, lying about her marijuana use when purchasing a gun. That is prohibited by law. Taylor had pleaded guilty.
If the woman had not lied about her marijuana use, the judge said, her son would never have gotten his hands on a gun. The judge also took into account the impact the shooting had on the other students in his decision.
Taylor’s son took the gun from his mother’s purse and took the gun to the elementary school in Newport News in January of this year. There he shot his teacher Abby Zwerner in the classroom. The 25-year-old victim suffered life-threatening injuries, but according to the police he still managed to get all students out of the room. No one else was injured.
Zwerner subsequently sued the school, seeking $40 million in damages because her employer allegedly ignored warnings about the boy’s behavior and possession of weapons. She was hit in the hand and chest and was hospitalized for two weeks. The hand in question still does not function properly, she testified in court.
Taylor is also accused by the public prosecutor of neglecting her now seven-year-old child. The verdict on this charge is expected in December.