Mother of 6-year-old who shot teacher pleads guilty to child neglect
In a plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop the misdemeanor charge of reckless storage of a firearm against Deja Taylor.
LEARN MOREPosted: 9:29 a.m. EDT Aug 16, 2023
A 9-year-old fatally shot a 6-year-old at a residence in Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville Sheriff's Assistant Chief J.D. Stronko told reporters on Monday.
Stronko would not divulge how the two children were related to each other, citing privacy law.
Stronko told reporters that officers were sent to the Jacksonville home around 2:47 p.m. on Monday. Officers found the 6-year-old with a gunshot wound to the head. The child was declared dead at a nearby hospital.
The children were in the care of an adult, Stronko said.
"One of the juveniles was able to obtain a firearm and fired a single shot, striking the victim," Stronko said. "There is no indication of criminal violence being related to this incident and there are no outstanding suspects related to this incident."
Stronko did not say how the child found the gun.
According to Nationwide Children's Hospital, firearms are the leading cause of death among children and teens in the U.S. Out of the hundreds of unintentional firearm deaths involving children, 92% of guns are stored loaded and 92% are stored unlocked, the Nationwide Children's Hospital study found.
“These results indicate that children are accessing firearms at a home – often their own home – and many of these firearms are not stored safely, even when there are young children in the home. These study findings also highlight that children are accessing firearms belonging to other relatives, not just their parents,” said Nichole Michaels, senior author of the study. “When children are killed by another child with a firearm, it has a ripple effect that can impact the well-being of their families, friends, classmates, and communities."
