VA - 6-YEAR-OLD in custody after shooting teacher, Newport News, Jan 2023 *mom charged* #2

[x_files]

We will not ever be told the details of this child’s mental health- it would violate HIPPA.
A six year old who acts violently is not a violent child. A child at six who has a history of violence is crying out for help. Something is wrong that is heartbreaking- they aren’t an evil criminal mastermind.

The problem is state involvement CPS can lead to foster care, it would be better if the family was involved And the child went to relatives.

It is possible this was an accident, a gun used for protection was left unlocked. He picked it up and took it to school and shot his teacher. He may have been angry, or just curious, a six year old hasn’t a clue what death means.
I would be more worried about the guns that show up in middle schools and high schools where kids are choosing to kill someone. We don’t hear about those- they aren’t novel enough to make the news.
This is a fluke, not a new norm.
IMO

Something isn't right with this child and yes 6 year old do know what a gun is and how dangerous it is. They do understand death.
I do not believe this was an innocent accident not according to the teacher Abby.
This child is without a doubt crying out for help and I hope he receives it before we have a budding psychopath on our hands which ends up being society's problem.
If you look at the lives of psychopaths the violence was there early and wasn't properly addressed.
If he's thrown back into public school as if nothing happened...that would be unfortunate for all,

 

[AngTxGal]

Per the attorney the father "occasionally" accompanied the child to school. I'm assuming he's not involved on a daily basis.

I am curious the father is not named. Another secret, in the saga. Is he being protected, or are they hiding his back story?
Moo

If the father doesn’t live in the home and the gun is not his, there should be no assumption that he did something wrong. It does sound like he is in the child’s life and takes him to school at times.

The father wasn’t named because he wasn’t arrested, and they are trying to keep the name of the six year old private.

JMO

 

[AngTxGal]

Something isn't right with this child and yes 6 year old do know what a gun is and how dangerous it is. They do understand death.
I do not believe this was an innocent accident not according to the teacher Abby.
This child is without a doubt crying out for help and I hope he receives it before we have a budding psychopath on our hands which ends up being society's problem.
If you look at the lives of psychopaths the violence was there early and wasn't properly addressed.
If he's thrown back into public school as if nothing happened...that would be unfortunate for all,

This month a 12 yr old shot another boy on purpose in Florida, he got the gun out of a safe in his home, then put it back. His parents have not been arrested. It was no accident. He may or may not be tried as an adult- because he is only 12.
Does a 12 yr old understand that he killed someone? I’m not sure he does, that is why he will be evaluated.

Do I think a six year old understands the damage a gun can do and the finality of death? No.
I would venture to say most people have no idea the damage a bullet can do unless they have seen it.

To a six year old a large rabbit that lays pastel eggs is as real as their family pet.
A six year old can be told that they had witnessed an event, one that did not happen, and they will form a mental image and memory as if it happened. They will swear they saw it, were there, and yet it didn’t even happen.
Adults did this to children- and used them as witnesses in court. Look up the McMartin Preschool case about Satanic rituals that never happened.
Pretty interesting

JMO

 

[Sundog]

So if the mother doesn't serve jail time then what? The child returns home and attends public school as if nothing happened. I think the most important issue is where does this violent child go?
It's not fair to return him back to public school not fair to him the teachers and the other children.
If the gun was easy found and unlocked before by him at age 6 what prevents it from happening again?
Or if he brings a kitchen knife to school? Then what? Wait until someone actually dies next time?
Has CPS investigated thoroughly WHY the child is violent? Is he being abused at home? or has he a learning disability? Are there mental health issues undiagnosed? Why is a 6-year-old so violent?
Is that even being addressed?! I hope assume so, but...

My guess is that he will be placed in a specialized foster home that is able to handle a situation such as he presents. The parents would likely have visiting rights and be required to participate in parenting sessions before the child is allowed to return home, maybe it starts with day trips, then an overnight, then a weekend, etc. I would think that while staying at a specialized foster home he could be home schooled. I know that CPS group homes for older children often have their own schools within the system, but am more familiar with pre-teens and teens' resources of children in foster homes than I am with a child of this age.

 

[Laughing]

If the father doesn’t live in the home and the gun is not his, there should be no assumption that he did something wrong. It does sound like he is in the child’s life and takes him to school at times.

The father wasn’t named because he wasn’t arrested, and they are trying to keep the name of the six year old private.

JMO

Given the location, pondering if this Dad in the committed relationship is stationed on a ship?

Could cover both frequent absence & committed relationship. Possibly covers not knowing about this child's behavior?

Just a guess, of course, IDK.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[KooshBall]

Possibly the father is in and out of jail. Yes, I am judging, this kid has been exposed to sex and violence, so both parents are no good imo.

 

[shotgun09]

Right about now, since we have zippo information on who's your daddy.....I'm going with a classic:

"Papa was a Rollin Stone...."
Temptations, 1972

enjoy the ear worm.....

 

[AngTxGal]

Don't forget that last year, WHEN HE WAS IN KINDERGARTEN, he molested a classmate on the playground! That is NEVER normal behavior, for any child.

Seriously, I’d like to see what actually happened.

My guess is that is not what happened, but of course I do not know.
I could see a teacher or parent blowing a fuse here and overreacting.
I could also see a little boy doing something someone taught him or did to him.

I’m so glad my grandma knew better. She caught me looking at and even touching the parts of my male cousin in the bathroom when we were five!
My grandma knew that was normal behavior, she had seen it before.
<modsnip - no link from an approved source to statement made as fact>

Society has a choice here… and we better choose wisely as a young life is at stake.
1) Do we help the child gain what is missing so they grow up to be healthy adults?
2) Or do we label the child as evil so we can find reasons to cast then aside?

If we choose the second, we are not a civilized society.
JMO

 

[AngTxGal]

My guess is that he will be placed in a specialized foster home that is able to handle a situation such as he presents. The parents would likely have visiting rights and be required to participate in parenting sessions before the child is allowed to return home, maybe it starts with day trips, then an overnight, then a weekend, etc. I would think that while staying at a specialized foster home he could be home schooled. I know that CPS group homes for older children often have their own schools within the system, but am more familiar with pre-teens and teens' resources of children in foster homes than I am with a child of this age.

I pray such a plan is put into place and done well… it happens and families can grow and become healthy and move forward.

I’m going back and catching up, there is a lot about this case I do not know…

The reaction of the school still needs to be addressed. A 25 yr old almost lost her life, and if a second bullet had been fired a child may have been killed.
If the child had an history of acting out repeatedly, they should not be allowed on campus until his parents are meeting their end of the bargain.
If a child is acting out at school- maybe schools should start asking parents if a gun is in the home? Maybe that conversation will prompt parents to act?

The teacher and other students in the room still need attention. Who is providing them with the therapy they need? Children saw a peer shoot a teacher. What can be done so they feel safe in schools again?

JMO

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Possibly the father is in and out of jail. Yes, I am judging, this kid has been exposed to sex and violence, so both parents are no good imo.

The same thing has occurred to me. There must be some reason why the 6-year-old's family want him to live with his grandfather if/when he is released from the facility where he is currently housed. Since the father has not been charged with a crime in this case, it would seem that he would have custody of the child if the mother is unable to properly supervise and care for him. JMO

Mother of 6-year-old who shot Richneck teacher makes court appearance

The hearing comes after Deja Taylor, 25, was indicted by a grand jury. She turned herself in at the Newport News City Jail but was later released on bond.

www.13newsnow.com

...Ellenson on Friday also gave an update on the status of the 6-year-old, saying he hasn't returned home since the shooting, but the family hoped to get him to live with his grandfather...

 

[mooseandcoffee]

But if the child is violent? I think at that point they should not be in public school with other children.

May vary from state to state, but there are generally policies for exclusion -- works for chicken pox, COVID 19, and can be used for behavior issues -- able to return when released by a licensed physician.

jmho ymmv lrr

When a child is on an IEP, there are steps that need to be followed. There is something called a manifestation hearing that basically analyzes if a child's behavior is due to the disability or is something separate. If this child's disability is categorized under Emotionally Disturbed, it is very difficult to say that his acting out/behavior is NOT related to the disability.

Clearly this child needs help. I am still blown away that he wasn't in an intervention classroom but instead had a parent coming to class with him each day. That's nuts. Even with the IEP in place, the school district could have pushed back against the parents' wishes and had due process hearings to determine the best plan for the child.

Children with IEPs have a right to being educated in the Least Restrictive Environment....but it's going to be hard to say that this child can handle a general education class with this event. The district might have to provide home instruction to fulfill IEP goals/objectives for a period of time. I had a student who was placed on home instruction for acts of violence after a manifestation hearing. As his intervention specialist, I had to provide work and plans for him for the remainder of the year.

All of this aside....it sounds to me like the parents need to figure out what is best for the treatment for their child....regardless of the educational placement. He is 6. With treatment (psychiatric? medication? lots of counseling and structure?) maybe this kiddo's life can be turned around.


MOO

 

[Simply Southern]

The same thing has occurred to me. There must be some reason why the 6-year-old's family want him to live with his grandfather if/when he is released from the facility where he is currently housed. Since the father has not been charged with a crime in this case, it would seem that he would have custody of the child if the mother is unable to properly supervise and care for him. JMO

Mother of 6-year-old who shot Richneck teacher makes court appearance

The hearing comes after Deja Taylor, 25, was indicted by a grand jury. She turned herself in at the Newport News City Jail but was later released on bond.

www.13newsnow.com

...Ellenson on Friday also gave an update on the status of the 6-year-old, saying he hasn't returned home since the shooting, but the family hoped to get him to live with his grandfather...

The J&D Judge, guardian ad litem and social services will decide on placement.

Moo, the Judge will he diligent in his decision making. This child has injuried one, with severe behavior/mental health diagnoses, he must protect all parties.

 

[AngTxGal]

My guess is that he will be placed in a specialized foster home that is able to handle a situation such as he presents. The parents would likely have visiting rights and be required to participate in parenting sessions before the child is allowed to return home, maybe it starts with day trips, then an overnight, then a weekend, etc. I would think that while staying at a specialized foster home he could be home schooled. I know that CPS group homes for older children often have their own schools within the system, but am more familiar with pre-teens and teens' resources of children in foster homes than I am with a child of this age.

Dr. Grande has a great summary of the child’s history and how the days up to the event and the day of the event played out. He gives a great explanation as to how a child of this age could become aggressive.

It looks to me like the school is clearly culpable. No teacher and Zero students should be forced to be in the room with a child who is repeatedly threatening and physically violent.

I have taught all grades K-12th and university sciences.
I taught 8th grade in a poor district mid 1990’s. A student SR was a healthy good looking tall boy was in Science. He had flunked 8th grade twice, he was older And had been moved from 7th to 8th because he was huge compared to boys in 7th.
If SR was on campus the word would spread through the students. In my class he was basically comatose, rarely spoke, that was 1st period. In the afternoons he would physically fight anyone, throw things, and scream. It was horrific, and it happened off and on all year. Someone would call the Resource Officer he would restrain SR to the floor and remove him. After a few days in In School Suspension ISS he would return to campus.
SR had no place being around other humans. I don’t think he was evil, I now think he was bipolar and his meds, Lithium, was not regulated. He was not present mentally enough to do school, had few friends, was behind his peers, could not write well. The kids were scared of him, and so were the teachers. He was a time bomb!

Where do kids go who are suffering from mental health issues? They should not be with children until they can behave and learn. That is what schools are for, not for babysitting kids with mental issues.
If there is a good system out there to handle these kids, what is it? I’m guessing a therapeutic boarding school? There are too many of these kids in regular classrooms, like time bombs. Care for them anywhere would be expensive. And…once they hurt someone they may have charges, and then JD and then prison.
I hope SR got the help he needed and went on to live a normal life.

IMO

 

[Ontario Mom]

Seriously, I’d like to see what actually happened.

My guess is that is not what happened, but of course I do not know.
I could see a teacher or parent blowing a fuse here and overreacting.
I could also see a little boy doing something someone taught him or did to him.

I’m so glad my grandma knew better. She caught me looking at and even touching the parts of my male cousin in the bathroom when we were five!
My grandma knew that was normal behavior, she had seen it before.
<modsnip - no link from an approved source to statement made as fact>

Society has a choice here… and we better choose wisely as a young life is at stake.
1) Do we help the child gain what is missing so they grow up to be healthy adults?
2) Or do we label the child as evil so we can find reasons to cast then aside?

If we choose the second, we are not a civilized society.
JMO

"The lawsuit mentions new details about the boy, who is identified as John Doe, and an alleged pattern of troubling behavior. While in kindergarten at Richneck in the 2021-22 school year, the boy strangled and choked a teacher and was removed from the school, according to the complaint. That same school year, the boy also pulled up the dress of a female student who had fallen on the playground, the complaint says, and "began to touch the child inappropriately until reprimanded by a teacher." The boy was transferred out of Richneck and placed in a different institution within the district, but was allowed to return for the 2022-23 school year when he was enrolled in Zwerner's class.

Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old files $40M lawsuit after she says school ignored warnings

This is one heck of a loaded accusation if the child's disciplinary record at the school district isn't saying the exact same thing. I suspect the record shows this is exactly what he did and since it was on the playground, I'll go even further and suggest there were likely more than a few witnesses.

I don't see any reason to assume that a parent or teacher "blew a fuse" and overreacted.
Nothing about this kind of behavior is what I'd call "normal". Not even close.
I think it's fair to say it's possible this child has been exposed to "adult" entertainment and was repeating what he's seen.

Something very similar happened to my own daughter when she was about 3. Her same age cousin pushed her down, took his own Pull-Up diaper off and stood over her wiggling himself then sat down on her. She was screaming bloody murder and when I came running to see what the problem was, I was equally horrified. Unfortunately we later learned this child (my nephew) was allowed to watch "adult" entertainment with his father because his father thought it was "funny".

jmo

 

[JerseyGirl]

Bench trial set for mother of 6-year-old who shot Virginia elementary school teacher, her attorney says | CNN

Deja Taylor, the mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his teacher in a Newport News, Virginia, elementary school, appeared in court for the first time Friday after being charged in the incident.

www.cnn.com

Deja Taylor did not enter a plea to charges of child neglect and recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child, according to Taylor's lawyer.

Additionally, James Ellenson, Taylor's attorney, told CNN his client has been granted a bench trial, instead of a jury trial, and it's scheduled to begin August 15. A grand jury indicted Taylor on the charges related to the January 6 shooting at Richneck Elementary School, the office of the Commonwealth's Attorney announced Monday. The boy is not being criminally charged.

 

[airportwoman]

Seriously, I’d like to see what actually happened.

My guess is that is not what happened, but of course I do not know.
I could see a teacher or parent blowing a fuse here and overreacting.
I could also see a little boy doing something someone taught him or did to him.

I’m so glad my grandma knew better. She caught me looking at and even touching the parts of my male cousin in the bathroom when we were five!
My grandma knew that was normal behavior, she had seen it before.
<modsnip - no link from an approved source to statement made as fact>

Society has a choice here… and we better choose wisely as a young life is at stake.
1) Do we help the child gain what is missing so they grow up to be healthy adults?
2) Or do we label the child as evil so we can find reasons to cast then aside?

If we choose the second, we are not a civilized society.
JMO

Context is everything! You were in the bathroom. These kids were on the playground.

 

[airportwoman]

"The lawsuit mentions new details about the boy, who is identified as John Doe, and an alleged pattern of troubling behavior. While in kindergarten at Richneck in the 2021-22 school year, the boy strangled and choked a teacher and was removed from the school, according to the complaint. That same school year, the boy also pulled up the dress of a female student who had fallen on the playground, the complaint says, and "began to touch the child inappropriately until reprimanded by a teacher." The boy was transferred out of Richneck and placed in a different institution within the district, but was allowed to return for the 2022-23 school year when he was enrolled in Zwerner's class.

Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old files $40M lawsuit after she says school ignored warnings

This is one heck of a loaded accusation if the child's disciplinary record at the school district isn't saying the exact same thing. I suspect the record shows this is exactly what he did and since it was on the playground, I'll go even further and suggest there were likely more than a few witnesses.

I don't see any reason to assume that a parent or teacher "blew a fuse" and overreacted.
Nothing about this kind of behavior is what I'd call "normal". Not even close.
I think it's fair to say it's possible this child has been exposed to "adult" entertainment and was repeating what he's seen.

Something very similar happened to my own daughter when she was about 3. Her same age cousin pushed her down, took his own Pull-Up diaper off and stood over her wiggling himself then sat down on her. She was screaming bloody murder and when I came running to see what the problem was, I was equally horrified. Unfortunately we later learned this child (my nephew) was allowed to watch "adult" entertainment with his father because his father thought it was "funny".

jmo

In the mid 1980s, I worked with a woman who had 3 young children, and she bragged about showing *advertiser censored* to her kids because she thought it was a good way to teach them about sex. (One of my friends pointed out, "That's not even the KIND of sex you want your kids to know about!") I was not surprised to find out later from someone who had grown up with her that she had been abused, and while her name wasn't in the media, everyone could figure out who it was. (The perp was not her father or her brother, that I do remember.) I said, "That's horrible!" and she replied, "Not really; it was probably her idea."

Probably not, if you think about it.

 

[Neuro]

Don't forget that last year, WHEN HE WAS IN KINDERGARTEN, he molested a classmate on the playground! That is NEVER normal behavior, for any child.

This is one of the most common signs of child sexual abuse.

Warning Signs for Young Children | RAINN

Every 9 minutes, government authorities respond to another report of child sexual abuse. Learning the warning signs of child sexual abuse is often the first step to protecting a child who is in danger.

www.rainn.org

Signs of Sexual Abuse - Early, Open, Often

Kids often don’t tell about sexual abuse (read about why), but sometimes they’ll display behavioral, physical, and emotional changes. Many of these changes aren’t specific to sexual abuse—they can happen with other kinds of trauma or stress, and they can vary by age. But it’s important to be...

www.earlyopenoften.org

 

[seasideForest]

Seriously, I’d like to see what actually happened.

My guess is that is not what happened, but of course I do not know.
I could see a teacher or parent blowing a fuse here and overreacting.
I could also see a little boy doing something someone taught him or did to him.

I’m so glad my grandma knew better. She caught me looking at and even touching the parts of my male cousin in the bathroom when we were five!
My grandma knew that was normal behavior, she had seen it before.
<modsnip - no link from an approved source to statement made as fact>

Society has a choice here… and we better choose wisely as a young life is at stake.
1) Do we help the child gain what is missing so they grow up to be healthy adults?
2) Or do we label the child as evil so we can find reasons to cast then aside?

If we choose the second, we are not a civilized society.
JMO

I'll just preface by saying that I'm a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I may have more knowledge of some stuff than average BUT otoh I might also be more reactive, shall we say.

On the choice you're giving, I'd definitely say (1). You try and help the child. Labelling him or her as evil or bad or sick or whatever is not going to help anybody.

I learnt boys have different things from girls by observation at bathtime etc but not by touch. Respectfully, I don't agree that it's alright to learn what is OK or not by touching other people, no matter how young you are. Two children of a very similar age 'playing doctors' is one thing.
But let's just say some 6yo touches the sexual parts of a 2yo (or even 3-4-5 yo) who's not into participating in this 'game' of doctors and just freezes and gets emotionally damaged by it? What then? If the child freezes, the emotional damage can lead to traumatisation (MOO, IANA doctor or therapist, but unfortunately I have learnt a lot about trauma during my own recovery). The abuse has been passed on, even though the 6yo probably didn't know that what he was doing was wrong* and certainly would have no idea of the long-term consequences for the other child. In my unfortunate experience, extremely young children can be sexually aroused and this arousal is damaging. I have also read in some scientific paper that both components of that sentence are in fact true, but I don't intend to retraumatise myself by searching around for where I read that a number of years ago, so I'll just say MOO IMO.



*With a certain type of upbringing, I think the 6yo would have automatically known that you don't pull up a little girl's dress in the playground. MOO
Kudos to the teacher who reprimanded the boy and rescued the girl.

 

[x_files]

Dr. Grande has a great summary of the child’s history and how the days up to the event and the day of the event played out. He gives a great explanation as to how a child of this age could become aggressive.

It looks to me like the school is clearly culpable. No teacher and Zero students should be forced to be in the room with a child who is repeatedly threatening and physically violent.

I have taught all grades K-12th and university sciences.
I taught 8th grade in a poor district mid 1990’s. A student SR was a healthy good looking tall boy was in Science. He had flunked 8th grade twice, he was older And had been moved from 7th to 8th because he was huge compared to boys in 7th.
If SR was on campus the word would spread through the students. In my class he was basically comatose, rarely spoke, that was 1st period. In the afternoons he would physically fight anyone, throw things, and scream. It was horrific, and it happened off and on all year. Someone would call the Resource Officer he would restrain SR to the floor and remove him. After a few days in In School Suspension ISS he would return to campus.
SR had no place being around other humans. I don’t think he was evil, I now think he was bipolar and his meds, Lithium, was not regulated. He was not present mentally enough to do school, had few friends, was behind his peers, could not write well. The kids were scared of him, and so were the teachers. He was a time bomb!

Where do kids go who are suffering from mental health issues? They should not be with children until they can behave and learn. That is what schools are for, not for babysitting kids with mental issues.
If there is a good system out there to handle these kids, what is it? I’m guessing a therapeutic boarding school? There are too many of these kids in regular classrooms, like time bombs. Care for them anywhere would be expensive. And…once they hurt someone they may have charges, and then JD and then prison.
I hope SR got the help he needed and went on to live a normal life.

IMO

I agree.
We do need much better solutions to help these children.