The mother of a six-year-old in the US, who shot his teacher, has been charged with stringent federal gun crimes, according to NBC News. The incident took place in January this year when the boy took a handgun to his school in Virginia and opened fire in the classroom. He was taken into custody after the teacher was seriously injured by the gunshot, the outlet further said. Deja Taylor, his mother, was indicted in April by a grand jury on charges of child neglect and recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child.
On Monday, a District Court in Virginia charged the 25-year-old with two counts: Being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.
Ms Taylor apologised to the teacher and said she was responsible for her son's access to the handgun. The woman, however, said she is not clear how the boy got his hands on it.
A trial is scheduled to begin on August 15, reported NBC News.
Abigail Zwerner, the teacher who was shot, led class of about 20 students to safety even after she was injured. She had filed a $40 million lawsuit against authorities of Richneck Elementary School, accusing them of ignoring her three warnings that the boy had a gun and a pattern of troubling behaviour.
The school has sought dismissal of the suit saying the matter will be addressed as a worker's compensation matter.
The case shook the United States, considering the age of the boy amid the increasing number of school shooting incidents. The boy apparently removed his mother's gun from a closet.
