The six-year-old student who shot his teacher in the US earlier this year, boasted about the incident saying “I shot [her] dead”, unsealed court documents show.
While being restrained after the shooting at a Virginia school, the boy is said to have admitted “I did it”, adding “I got my mom’s gun last night”.
His teacher, Abigail “Abby” Zwerner - who survived - filed a $40m (£31.4m) lawsuit earlier this year.
The boy has not been charged.
The boy’s mother, however, Deja Taylor, has been charged with felony child neglect and misdemeanour recklessly leaving a loaded firearm as to endanger a child.
In Ms Zwerner’s lawsuit, filed in April, she accuses school officials of gross negligence for ignoring warning signs and argues the defendants knew the child "had a history of random violence
The documents also mention another incident with the same student while he was in kindergarten. A retired teacher told police he started “choking her to the point she could not breathe”.
This boy choked someone and shot someone else before turning 7. Maybe a psychiatric hospital should be his home.
A lot of focus is being justifiably placed on the mom, but the kid’s actions very closely mirror allegations against his father, Malik Ellison.
The [father’s girlfriend] said she backed away to create space, but Ellison followed her, pushed her onto the bed, put his hand around her neck, and threatened to kill her, according to court records.
That attack wasn’t the only time the woman claimed Ellison was violent toward her, court records show. The woman called Newport News police again on Sept. 21, 2021 and told investigators that Ellison held a gun to her head and threatened to kill her, according to court records.
I might have a lead on any missing pets in the area
It’s amazing to me how focused these comments are on the child being “evil” and not the environment that created this situation. A child isn’t born believing that shooting their teacher is a viable solution to their problems. At 6 years old you’re barely functional. For this to happen they had to exist in a profoundly fucked up environment with no moral compass and access to a lot of information, presented without good context, far above their age. Everyone responsible for raising this kid should be held responsible.
This kid needs years of therapy and support and a loving caregiver. Before the age of 10 children are incredibly impressionable and still undergoing very basic core development, until the age of 25 people are still in development to some level. There are many years ahead where this child can be saved from themselves. There is no reason to call a 6 year old irredeemable.
It can be both sadly. Some kids are born not right. But will usually be ok with good and professional follow up and loving parents. But there are some kids born without the ability to emphasize with others and that never will get the help they need. And they become terrifying in their teens.
Empathy is something that is taught. If some kid does not have the ability to have empathy for others, it’s likely because they were neglected/abused during childhood, and were not taught such a thing as empathy.
And their adulthood
It’s possible he really has no remorse
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder
I’d like someone more knowledgeable to confirm this, but I remember that kids cannot be diagnosed certain PDs, so I’m not sure that this can really apply to a child. Also, PDs more often than not derive from childhood problems.
After the kindergarten incident the child should’ve been given a psychiatric evaluation. It is possible he’s got a “screw loose” but in the vast majority of cases like this you’ll find there’s violence in the home. The foster system sucks ass, but in this case rolling the dice probably would’ve led to a better outcome than leaving him in that home.
The intentional shooting itself is all I need to know that the little kid has really significant issues that need to be treated. The fact that he bragged about it isn’t news; he’s six, I’m not expecting him to act maturely about anything.
My mom works in a school as a therapist for very mentally ill children. There are a few that have been sent to the bad kids school because of violence. I wouldn’t be surprised if she told me one of the kids shot someone.
Oh look another shooting that basic safe storage laws could have prevented, without even restricting firearm ownership, but ammosexuals still resist them.
proper gun ownership turns you gay tho
How would safe storage laws prevent this? They would just result in another charge for the mother. You really think someone who leaves a gun around with a 6 year old with behavioral issues would lock it up just because of a law?
Bingo they’re just a barrier to entry that negatively effects those of lower income since safes aren’t cheap. Start a program to provide secure no cost safes upon request and I’m with you.
This is just poor logic. Guns themselves cost money, which negatively effects those one lower incomes. Should we provide free guns to anyone that wants one too?
And you know what else negatively effects those on low incomes? Being shot.
Not at all. Guns are often inherited and transferred without fee. And yes in my opinion if you pass a free series of tests on gun ownership/responsibility/safety then yeah, as a militaristic country invasion is almost certainty sooner or later. Should we be militaristic? Probably not but we adjust for the conditions as they are not as we wish them to be.
Correct, systemic issues including fun fact gun control attempts make lower income areas higher crime and thus higher gun crime. Weird huh?
Correct, systemic issues including fun fact gun control attempts make lower income areas higher crime and thus higher gun crime. Weird huh?
Are you having a stroke? None of this makes any sort of sense.
It’s plain English boss, reading comprehension is your part to provide.
Lmao, whatever you say buddy.
Some states require a trigger lock to be sold along with the weapon. Not as good as a safe but it should prevent accidental discharge. That being said I would support a program to provide no-cost lock boxes (not giant safes) for handguns.
Storage laws are the easiest to abide by, though. My stuff all lives in a safe, which key is on my person, because my dotty wife and ditzy daughter frequently forget to lock the door behind them.
Is an intruder just gonna take the safe and lockboxes? Yep.
Am I gonna report that theft as “lockbox, contained one pistol (SN:xxxxxxxx); loaded magazine, 9 rounds?” You betcha.
As you say, LPL videos are free so a lockbox and safe are like, the least obstructive Imlediments ever. What’s the harm in this Pascal’s wager?
Edit: bah! Wrong reply bug! This was directed to a comment down thread 👇
How would safe storage laws prevent this? They would just result in another charge for the mother. You really think someone who leaves a gun around with a 6 year old with behavioral issues would lock it up just because of a law?
The implication is that you actually enforce the laws after you implement them, rather than just implementing them as a way to add a charge. For example in my country police will come to inspect my house at least once a year to make sure im storing them properly and if a neighbour complains or something they will also make an unschedules checked.
I get American gun owners would take this basic safety precaution as the deepest violation of a tyranical government and would shoot a cop before they let them inspect their home for safety, but my point is if they did agree to sensible safe storage legislation this wouldnt have happened
This shit happens literally every day in the US. At this point, it’s like getting worked up about the wind blowing. They’re a lost cause.
Jesus Christ dude.
The boy’s mother, however, Deja Taylor, has been charged with felony child neglect and misdemeanour recklessly leaving a loaded firearm as to endanger a child.
It looks like she violated the storage laws.
No, its more like they came up with that as a way to punish someone for this act. As far as im aware, there isnt a law describing how guns need to be sotred to keep them away form kids and if there is, it sure as hell isnt enforced.
How do you enforce this other than punishing it when something happens? The police can’t just go into people’s homes to double check that they have their firearms stored safely. People aren’t going to report themselves.
Why can’t they they? That’s how it works in most other developed nations?
Would you not consider the following to be a safe storage law?
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/18.2-56.2/
§ 18.2-56.2. Allowing access to firearms by children; penalty. A. It shall be unlawful for any person to recklessly leave a loaded, unsecured firearm in such a manner as to endanger the life or limb of any child under the age of fourteen. Any person violating the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
B. It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to authorize a child under the age of twelve to use a firearm except when the child is under the supervision of an adult. Any person violating this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. For purposes of this subsection, “adult” shall mean a parent, guardian, person standing in loco parentis to the child or a person twenty-one years or over who has the permission of the parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis to supervise the child in the use of a firearm.
Well that depends on what “unsecured” really means
Laws don’t force people to use gun safety protocols, but I think the violation of such laws needs to be a felony (no more guns for you).
Yo, how strong does a kindergartner need to be to be able to choke out a fully grown adult? Wild.
Bigger boy (for his age) and a smaller woman, especially a kid using all his strength, it can definitely happen.
My 5 year old is very big compared to my 5’1" 105 lbs. Honestly I could totally see a kid his size if they were deranged being able to do some serious damage to someone my size.
What. The fuck.
See yall next school shooting
50th term abortion
Y’all are acting outraged while this boy could’ve stopped the Sandy Hook-shooting. It’s only due to unlucky circumstances that he happened to shoot his teacher instead. Wrong place, wrong time. Poor boy.
Upvote because this response seems about as reasonable as the “put him down” responses.
Screw the kids parents
‘In kindergarten choking her till she could not breath’ BITCH that’s a 5 year old fuck him up.
I think you woefully underestimate how much it’s drilled into teachers’ heads not to use any sort of physical force at all
Very, very high chance she loses her job and is potentially charged with assault of she had
Loses her job and also can’t get a job anywhere else. It’d essentially be the end of her career
Idgaf. If a five year old is choking me till the point I can’t breath there will be (appropriate) consequences. He spends 8 hours a day at that school you bet your ass he will behave in my class.
You can just say you have absolutely zero experience in the classroom, it’s OK.
When I was in classroom nobody was ever choking the teacher and if they tried, they would get dropped kicked like a soccer ball.
Tell that to the teacher from the middle school I went to that got fired for pushing a kid that tried to stab him with a pencil
Sounds like a shiti employer, really. Either get a new one or switch career. At this point I don’t get why one would want to be a teacher in the US. Bad pay, zero respect from parents or admins, plus homework as an adult
Jfc, these people need to be on anti work and work reform to start regaining dignity.
If society cannot respect the teacher, fuck such shiti society IMHO.
Almost like it’s a sad reality out there.
Why the downvotes? He’s right. Some brainwashed dumbfucks in this thread. Teach your kids manners otherwise other people are very fast fed up with the behavior of your kid.
Dropkick that little motherfucker. Ciaooo see you again with your parents after school and if your kid doesn’t behave next time he needs to find another school.
Hello USA. I didn’t know you were awake.
We know ydgaf, that’s why you keep leaving these braindead comments. The world in your head has little correlation with the one we find ourselves living in.
True, but I think that’s still better than being dead.
Removed by mod
Hmmm, yes, let us murder this child before he has a chance to murder us. This is what a society does.
Bruh, I’m just appealing to utilitarianism here. Also, remember that this child almost murdered an innocent teacher.
Approx. 20.000 juveniles were arrested for murder or attempted murder in 2020 (per the US Dept of Justice) Shall we put them all down, as you say? Just to be safe?
Calling your position utilitarianism is interesting, in what way is really, actually murdering a child (never mind the massive amount of legal, ethical and emotional complications that entail) to prevent a hypothetical future murder maximizing utility for anyone?
No, of course we shouldn’t put them all down. But extreme cases like this ought to be considered carefully, and if the risk is high, we should remove these individuals from society.
To your second point, this child already almost killed someone and then bragged about it, showing no remorse. There is a very good chance he will grow up to try and commit murder again; he’s too far gone. That’s where the utility maximisation comes in.
And re: your point about there being a great deal of legal, ethical, and emotional complications for this kind of policy intervention, I completely agree. Good thing we’re just talking shit on Lemmy, right? 😂
I don’t agree with this rehabilitation bullshit, it’s only for rich and small countries with already high living standards. Any other country, and it will be just like you said, a bunch of people working their assess off just for a slight chance at a psycho not turning into a disgusting asshole.
Yeah. I would also say that even in rich and small countries, it’s hard. Some people are just born psychos - far ends of the bell curve, etc etc.
Yeah lets just kill all children who show psychopath/violent tendancies.
/s
not all.
Yes rehabilitation costs money and time, but do you realise that the death penalty often uses more money and resources than keeping somebody alive and in prison for the remainder of their life?
It baffles me when people like you jump to these extreme conclusions. Kids a fucked up little shit, but here you are calling for his death. That in itself is extremely fucked up.
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Age 6 was the time to intervene but the system is trash, bare minimum assistance provided generally makes things worse.
Nation-wide 6mm abortions up until the age of 14 lol
😂
You are correct. Have a downvote.
Great “article” BBC. Let’s vilify the 6 year old who is too young to be any more fucked up than his home environment has directly caused him to be or to otherwise grasp the finality of these actions, with only a brief mention of the mother, and no discussion at all about the easy access to guns which lies at the root of every such story.
This article clearly paints a picture of how the adults in this child’s life clearly ignored their obvious violent tendencies.
5/6 year olds don’t behave like that unless their parents have created that behavior through neglect or abuse. Given the other things we know about the mother from quality reporting, that tracks.
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I wonder if unfettered access to violent media, without parental guidance or context, coupled with a culture of narcissistic whinging about how important guns are for life, with zero structure at home led to this happening.
As a person who grew up with unrestricted access to violent media, I argue against this point.
I was watching violent and bloody films like Blade, Kill Bill, From Dusk Till Dawn around the time I was 5. There are a host of violent games avaliable from that time, too.
I feel like there are two reasons one would seek this type of media out: the aesthetics of violence (there’s a reason John Wick has 4 films) and genuine psychopathy, a craving to emulate.
I’d argue very few people have an actual craving to emulate extreme violence, even in an environment saturated with its artificial presentation, and that those people would do so without the access to said saturated media. I blame the parents mostly. It’s not the movies that make the attitude for how to treat others, it’s how you’re shown to treat others in real life
Even as a toddler I understood film was fake
Or lack of conveniently available and accessible abortion clinics.
Kids psychologically profile the same as a psychopath. This is because kids usually haven’t developed their sense of empathy yet.
