A Virginia grand jury has indicted the mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher on charges of child neglect and improper storage of the gun in the family home, a prosecutor said Monday.
A grand jury meeting in Newport News charged the 25-year-old mother with felony child neglect and misdemeanor child endangerment for reckless storage of a firearm, prosecutor Howard Gwynn said in a filing. Press release.
The Associated Press is not identifying the mother by name to protect the identity of her son.
The boy shot first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner on Jan. 6 inside her classroom at Richneck Elementary School. Police said the boy’s mother legally purchased the gun. Her attorney, James Ellenson, has said the gun was secured on a top shelf in her closet and had a trigger lock.
Ellenson said Monday that her client plans to turn himself in later this week. She did not comment on the allegations, which were first reported by the Daily Press.
The decision to charge the boy’s mother is the latest development to stem from the shooting in this naval town of about 185,000 located near the Chesapeake Bay.
“Each criminal case is unique in its facts, and these facts support these charges, but our investigation into the shooting continues,” Gwynn said.
Gwynn said her office has asked the court to select a special grand jury to continue the investigation into any security issues that may have contributed to the shooting.
“The safety of Newport News students is of the utmost importance. The special grand jury will review the facts to determine whether the additional charges against other individuals are justified by the facts and the law,” Gwynn explained.
