Mother of boy who shot teacher explains he has ADHD

In January, a first grade teacher was shot by a 6-year-old boy, and the boy’s mother, Deja Taylor, is now saying that she is willing to take responsibility for her son’s actions, and that his ADHD diagnosis may have played a role.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Taylor stated, “I am, as a parent, obviously willing to take responsibility for him because he can’t take responsibility for himself.”

Currently, Taylor is facing charges of child neglect and recklessly leaving a firearm that endangered a child, according to prosecutors. Her bench trial is scheduled for August 15th.

While the teacher, Abby Zwerner, has recovered from the shooting, she has filed a $40 million lawsuit against the Newport News School District and Richneck Elementary officials, alleging that they ignored multiple warnings about the student’s behavior and concerns that he may have a gun. However, lawyers for the school board have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that her injuries are covered by the state’s worker’s compensation law, which she was approved to receive benefits for, but turned down.