Virginia mother of 6-year-old boy who shot teacher arrested on child neglect, other charges

The mother of the 6-year-old boy who shot a teacher at a Virginia elementary school has been arrested, police announced.

The woman was charged with felony child neglect and recklessly leaving a loaded firearm so as to endanger a child, a misdemeanor, and turned herself in to police Thursday, the Newport News Police Department said. Authorities announced the charges Monday.

USA TODAY is not naming the woman in this story to protect the identity of the child.

The felony charge is punishable by up to five years in prison. The misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in prison.

The woman was released after posting a $5,000 bond. She was set to have her first court hearing Friday, said James Ellenson, her attorney.

What family of 6-year-old boy has said

Ellenson has said that the woman has no criminal record and that her gun was secured on a top shelf in her closet with a trigger lock.

The boy has an "acute disability" and was under a care plan that involved a parent accompanying him to class every day, Ellenson said. The week of the shooting was the first when a parent was not with him in class, he said.

6-year-old boy shot, wounded teacher in Virginia elementary school

The arrest comes more than three months since the shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, a city near the Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia. Police say a 6-year-old boy, who has not been publicly identified, shot his first grade teacher, Abby Zwerner, 25, using his mother's gun, striking Zwerner in the hand and chest. The gun was purchased legally, authorities said.

Authorities have described the shooting as "intentional" and said it came without warning.

Zwerner hustled her students out of the classroom while another staff member who heard the gunshot restrained the child. Police called the teacher a "hero" who may have saved lives. She was rushed to the hospital with what police initially described as life-threatening injuries. Zwerner was in the hospital for nearly two weeks.

Teacher sues school system

Zwerner filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school system last week, accusing school officials of negligence and of ignoring multiple warnings from teachers and staff members that the boy had taken a gun to school.

Zwerner’s attorney, Diane Toscano, told reporters in January that staff had warned administrators three times that the boy had a gun but nothing was done. The 6-year-old also often cursed at staff members and teachers, chased students while trying to whip them with his belt and once choked another teacher , according to a legal notice filed by Zwerner's attorney.

The city prosecutor's office announced Tuesday that an investigation into whether the "actions or omissions" of any school employees could lead to criminal charges.

Dig Deeper: More on shooting

• Charges announced : Virginia mother of 6-year-old boy who shot teacher facing multiple charges
• The lawsuit: First-grade Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old student files $40 million lawsuit
• The impact: Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old student details recovery
• Continued threats: A student at the Virginia school where 6-year-old shot teacher threatened to shoot up a classroom
• More context: Virginia 6-year-old who shot his teacher exposes flaws in how schools treat students with disabilities
• School reopens: Virginia school where 6-year-old shot his teacher reopens with increased security

Contact Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern .

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Virginia mother of 6-year-old boy who shot teacher arrested on child neglect, other charges