On Wednesday, Deja Taylor, the mother of a six-year-old boy, was imprisoned in Virginia after shooting a teacher with an illegal firearm, which was illegal under US law, and using marijuana.
Deja Taylor's son took her handgun and shot his teacher, Abby Swerner, in a first-grade classroom in January, resulting in severe wounds.
Mother of Six-Year-Old Boy Imprisoned
A handcuffed woman, part of a group of 72 alleged members the "Barrio 18" gang, waits to be registered by the National Civil Police after being arrested on charges of extortion and murder in Guatemala City on May 2, 2016. Security forces on Monday launched raids on one of the biggest gangs in Guatemala, arresting 72 suspected members in different parts of the country, officials said.
The investigators found nearly an ounce of marijuana in Taylor's bedroom and also saw evidence of the text messages that proved her frequent use of marijuana and firearm.
According to Toronto City News, the federal charges against Taylor were quite rare and occurred when marijuana was legal in Virginia.
Virginia prosecutors reported that some countries in the US ruled against a federal law that bans drug users from owning firearms. However, the law was still effective in other states and continued to charge people, including Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden.
The prosecutors claimed in the court filings that Taylor's chronic, persistent, and life-affecting abuse extends the case far beyond any occasional and recreational use.
The prosecutors would charge Taylor a 21-month prison sentence. Furthermore, Swerner sued the school for $40 million, as the administration allegedly ignored the warning of the teacher that the boy had a gun.
The prosecutors said the case was not a marijuana case. They said in the filing, "It is a case that underscores the inherently dangerous nature and circumstances that arise from the caustic cocktail of mixing consistent and prolonged controlled substance use with a lethal firearm."
Taylor acknowledged a negotiated guilty plea in June in the US District Court in Newport News in the state's southeast coastal region. She was guilty of using marijuana while owning an illegal firearm and also for lying about her drug use when she purchased the gun.
Taylor's attorneys requested a home confinement as they said Taylor was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a condition that shares symptoms with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and needs counseling.
Furthermore, Taylor's attorneys also noted that she needs treatment for marijuana addiction. They said that addiction is a disease and imprisonment is not a cure.
Taylor Shows Remorse
Taylor's attorneys said, "Ms. Taylor is deeply saddened, extremely despondent, and completely remorseful for the unintended consequences and mistakes that led to this horrible shooting."
She would face a separate sentencing in December for felony child neglect. Taylor's son told the authorities that he picked up the gun at the top of the dresser inside Taylor's purse.
Taylor said the gun was locked with a trigger lock but failed to secure her weapon to his son. His father also said that this was not the first time the gun was fired since Taylor shot his father's son after seeing him with his girlfriend.
Taylor's sentence was the first measure of accountability for January's shooting. Furthermore, her sentence reintroduced national discussion about gun violence.
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