Mother of Richneck Elementary shooter set for plea hearing Aug. 15 instead of bench trial
Deja Taylor, whose son shot and injured his first-grade teacher in January at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, is set to have a plea hearing instead of a bench trial for charges in connection with the shooting.
A grand jury indicted Taylor in April with a felony child neglect count and a misdemeanor count of “allowing access to firearms by children” for leaving her handgun in a location where the boy was able to get ahold of it. She later posted bond.
Taylor faces up to six years behind bars on those two state charges, and her bench trial was scheduled for Aug. 15. She had no prior criminal record before the shooting, and she pleaded guilty to federal gun and marijuana charges.
Her attorney, James Ellenson, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
The change, which was first reported by 13 News Now, happened at Friday morning’s status hearing for the case. The plea hearing, which is still scheduled for Aug. 15, will begin at 10 a.m. in Newport News Circuit Court, according to Virginia’s online case lookup.
Police say the boy, who now lives with another relative, intentionally shot his teacher in the afternoon on Jan. 6.
Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com
