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

[chipwhitley]

Great-grandpa? He looks really young and healthy. He looks 60. How old is the mother I thought in her 30's.

DT is 25 per this article:
"Deja Nicole Taylor, 25, was charged with felony child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a firearm so as to endanger a child."

Mother of VA 6-year-old who shot teacher faces 2 charges

A grand jury on Monday indicted the mother of a 6-year-old boy who shot his first grade teacher at Newport News three months ago.

richmond.com

 

[amaraya]

This is unacceptable. The grandfather is delusional about the child's behavior if he considered recent events before the shooting *better* , or if that was better, what happened before was worse.

Eitherway, there is no attempt at compassion, responsibility, accountability. I could go on. This child needs far more help than he seems to be getting.

 

[jjonez]

I finally got to watch the abc interview

At 4:56 (ish) in the linked video Deja Taylor is asked if the gun was “locked somewhere?” She nods and eventually mumbles “mm-hmm”. I assume that is intended to be an affirmative response.

MOO - I believe that is a lie. - MOO

Just prior to that, the man to her left (her lawyer?) says, “I don’t know that a, any adult, knows exactly how he got the gun. (emphasis his, and mine) What exactly is he trying to imply?

MOO - SPECULATION - He makes it sound as though a teenager handed the child the gun. I don’t necessarily think that is what he is trying to imply, but that is how it is coming across to me. I do think, maybe, he is trying to frame some sort of defense.

Edited to Ask… does anyone know if a teenager also lived in the child’s household at the time he accessed the gun?

 

[airportwoman]

Like I've said before in this thread, does anyone wonder if the school WANTED this boy to do something terrible? Who knows what their reasons may have been if that's true.

 

[Erutan]

I finally got to watch the abc interview

At 4:56 (ish) in the linked video Deja Taylor is asked if the gun was “locked somewhere?” She nods and eventually mumbles “mm-hmm”. I assume that is intended to be an affirmative response.

MOO - I believe that is a lie.- MOO

Just prior to that, the man to her left (her lawyer?) says, “I don’t know that a, any adult, knows exactly how he got the gun. (emphasis his, and mine) What exactly is he trying to imply?

MOO - SPECULATION - He makes it sound as though a teenager handed the child the gun. I don’t necessarily think that is what he is trying to imply, but that is how it is coming across to me. I do think, maybe, he is trying to frame some sort of defense.

Bbm.
Agreed !

Initial reports mentioned that the gun (paraphrased by me) "... was secured".
Immediately that stood out as a falsehood, because a six year old child is not going to know how to bypass a coded lock or find the key-- unless some tells him the code, or shows him that key !
Then, assuming it wasn't loaded, he had to find the bullets.
Etc.
Imo.

 

[chipwhitley]

I finally got to watch the abc interview

At 4:56 (ish) in the linked video Deja Taylor is asked if the gun was “locked somewhere?” She nods and eventually mumbles “mm-hmm”. I assume that is intended to be an affirmative response.

MOO - I believe that is a lie. - MOO

Just prior to that, the man to her left (her lawyer?) says, “I don’t know that a, any adult, knows exactly how he got the gun. (emphasis his, and mine) What exactly is he trying to imply?

MOO - SPECULATION - He makes it sound as though a teenager handed the child the gun. I don’t necessarily think that is what he is trying to imply, but that is how it is coming across to me. I do think, maybe, he is trying to frame some sort of defense.

The great grandpa seems really dismissive to me "I'm sorry you got hurt" and "I'm really sorry my grandson had to go through this ordeal"

 

[jjonez]

Like I've said before in this thread, does anyone wonder if the school WANTED this boy to do something terrible? Who knows what their reasons may have been if that's true.

What do you suspect that the motivation would be in that scenario?

 

[fred&edna]

Because the teacher doesn't look more like the great-grandfather... that's why this case is so pumped up. Is that what he said (in the interview linked above)??

I thought this case gained attention because a 6 year-old shot his teacher in class with a gun he brought from home... no matter what anyone "looks like".

jmo

 

[AngTxGal]

Like I've said before in this thread, does anyone wonder if the school WANTED this boy to do something terrible? Who knows what their reasons may have been if that's true.

I’m not following your logic, what are you implying exactly?

Are you implying that the school did not want him to attend, so they hoped the events would escalate so they could kick him out?
Are you implying the school is racist?
or
Are you implying the school was ignoring the situation as they wanted the teacher to quit?

It is possible there was no intention. My guess is none of us would be shocked to find a public school admin who did not do their job either due to incompetence, or laziness.
Of course there are wonderful public school admins out there, and just as many who have risen above their level of incompetence because they know someone.

Imagine a person going to school for four years to teach children, doing a job that is already difficult, under an admin that isn’t supportive. Surely we can do better in our public schools!

JMO

 

[AngTxGal]

Because the teacher doesn't look more like the great-grandfather... that's why this case is so pumped up. Is that what he said (in the interview linked above)??

I thought this case gained attention because a 6 year-old shot his teacher in class with a gun he brought from home... no matter what anyone "looks like".

jmo

I don’t know the process, but it would be interesting to see this play out as a jury trial.
This attorney may think he has a chance here, I’m thinking he does not.
Who in their right mind is going to side against the teacher here?
Who in their right mind is going to side with the admin?
Who in their right mind is going to side with the mother?

There is nothing for the defense to stand on, IMO.
It is a parent’s responsibility to secure a gun from a child.
And…it isn’t just that the gun was accessible, but also that it was loaded, and the boy was able to get to it without her knowing.
I would expect impulse control issues from a child with ADHD, not premeditated planned taking gun to school, remembering it was there, and pulling it out to shoot a teacher.
Something else is going on here

JMO

 

[shotgun09]

I don’t know the process, but it would be interesting to see this play out as a jury trial.
This attorney may think he has a chance here, I’m thinking he does not.
Who in their right mind is going to side against the teacher here?
Who in their right mind is going to side with the admin?
Who in their right mind is going to side with the mother?

There is nothing for the defense to stand on, IMO.
It is a parent’s responsibility to secure a loaded gun from a child.
And…it isn’t just that the gun was accessible, but also that it was loaded, and the boy was able to get to it without her knowing.
I would expect impulse control issues from a child with ADHD, not premeditated planned taking gun to school, remembering it was there, and pulling it out to shoot a teacher.
Something else is going on here

JMO

Mr Ellenson, the attorney of D Tayor, has requested a bench trial, not a jury trial.
Funny that.
I am not sure what/where that request stands at this time.

 

[Erutan]

Because the teacher doesn't look more like the great-grandfather... that's why this case is so pumped up. Is that what he said (in the interview linked above)??

I thought this case gained attention because a 6 year-old shot his teacher in class with a gun he brought from home... no matter what anyone "looks like".

jmo

Bbm.
Agreed 100 %.
Thanks for bringing that up.
Imo the mom's grandpa is making insinuations.
Turning this into something it is not.

And agreed as well, it doesn't matter what anyone looks like.
I brought up in my previous post (and in agreement with another post) concerns about great grandpa's age, concerning being able to care for this child given the issues he's having.
If that is indeed Calvin sitting by the mom in the interview, I think he's more than capable; and he looks fit.

My concern is ; what if he continues to say the boy is improving.... but no one outside of the family will know whether there is a true improvement, or not ?
Some people can't switch to a different school due to their zip code or whatever, so will he eventually go back to the same school ?
Or, if he goes to a different school, what if he's the same or worse ?
What will happen next ?

Imagine the discussion we'd be having if he'd shot himself or another child !!
Thankful no one was killed.
M00.

 

[AngTxGal]

The great grandpa seems really dismissive to me "I'm sorry you got hurt" and "I'm really sorry my grandson had to go through this ordeal"

It appears to me that someone has convinced this mom and grandpa that there is money to be gained in this case… by calling the race card.
Wow, I would guess that line of thinking is utter nonsense but I’ve seen crazier things!

JMO

 

[IDK]

I finally got to watch the abc interview

At 4:56 (ish) in the linked video Deja Taylor is asked if the gun was “locked somewhere?” She nods and eventually mumbles “mm-hmm”. I assume that is intended to be an affirmative response.

MOO - I believe that is a lie. - MOO

Just prior to that, the man to her left (her lawyer?) says, “I don’t know that a, any adult, knows exactly how he got the gun. (emphasis his, and mine) What exactly is he trying to imply?

MOO - SPECULATION - He makes it sound as though a teenager handed the child the gun. I don’t necessarily think that is what he is trying to imply, but that is how it is coming across to me. I do think, maybe, he is trying to frame some sort of defense.

Edited to Ask… does anyone know if a teenager also lived in the child’s household at the time he accessed the gun?

That grandfather is something else. Not accepting responsibility and trying to deflect blame— sheesh.

I’m not aware of any other children or teens living in the home. I wonder if the lawyer is setting up a defense that the shooting is the school’s fault since they allowed the child to attend without a parent. And I agree it’s definitely the schools fault — they were warned multiple times!

I think the mom has a history of depression (after a miscarriage, I believe) and that’s how she came across to me— flat affect.

Wonder how much they were paid for this interview.

 

[sandy_80]

i see you all very focused on the mother..and not if there are any actual ways or solutions for very young violent children ?
they dont disappear if you put the mother in prison..

 

[Hexe]

i see you all very focused on the mother..and not if there are any actual ways or solutions for very young violent children ?
they dont disappear if you put the mother in prison..

Solution is getting the child diagnosed and then enrolled into therapy, institutional if required. It's something the mother of this particular child refused to do.

 

[shotgun09]

i see you all very focused on the mother..and not if there are any actual ways or solutions for very young violent children ?
they dont disappear if you put the mother in prison..

IMO, the solution is good old common sense!
You don't bring a deadly weapon into your home where a child with a violent history resides, and leave it accessible.

 

[fred&edna]

i see you all very focused on the mother..and not if there are any actual ways or solutions for very young violent children ?
they dont disappear if you put the mother in prison..

I am focused on the mother because she wasn't focused on her very young violent child and her non-secured loaded gun. Both were her responsibility. The mother was negligent. Negligence has consequences... should those consequences just disappear?

 

[Erutan]

Solution is getting the child diagnosed and then enrolled into therapy, institutional if required. It's something the mother of this particular child refused to do.

Well said, @Hexe !

I think that training begins in the home.

The school admin bears some responsibility for ignoring extreme red flags.

But this child came to that school day after day and continued to be violent towards students and teachers alike.

I want to hope that he is indeed improving under the care of his great grandpa.
But if he is not improving, and after hearing what the great grandpa has said in the interview, I don't believe for a hot second this relative is going to 'slip' and reveal this to the public.
One more item of interest ... does Calvin have any weapons in his home ?
Even if it's a kitchen knife, he needs to keep it under lock and key.

If he's placed into his previous school or a different one -- those people deserve to know how he's been doing.
I fear very much that we haven't seen the last of this child.

Moo.

 

[sandy_80]

fine..but again your solution isnt anything releastic that I ve seen ? have you seen it in reality ?
what is this institution you are suggesting ?
I know Ive seen a doc on a mother of budding killer , who for years ran to everyone screaming ( my son is a psychopath ) and NOT one was listening .. untill he commited his first crime
another case that is a lil different is of my cousins son...who is a teen with very severe mental disability that includes aggression ..even though this aggression has never been outside home..the only solution she was offered to abandon him completly ( losing every right she has ) into some institusion where he can be beaten to death by other patients ..he was already attacked there and she had to take him out
I am not saying .. leave the mother alone. she isnt guilty ... but again this is just burying your head in the sand by refusing to see the bigger picture, that there is a problem with how society and the system has no help