Unsealed court documents have unveiled disturbing details regarding the case of a six-year-old student who shot his teacher earlier this year in the US. The boy, who remains unidentified, allegedly boasted about the shooting, stating, “I shot [her] dead,” after the incident took place.

The shooting occurred at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, where the boy, using his mother’s gun, shot his first-grade teacher, Abigail “Abby” Zwerner, in the hand and chest on January 6. While being restrained after the shooting, the young boy reportedly admitted, “I did it,” and disclosed, “I got my mom’s gun last night.”

Remarkably, the teacher survived the shooting, despite undergoing four surgical procedures. In her lawsuit filed in April, Abigail Zwerner claims gross negligence on the part of school officials for ignoring warning signs and alleges that they were aware of the student’s history of “random violence.”

The unsealed court documents also highlight another concerning incident involving the same student when he was in kindergarten. A retired teacher reported that the child had allegedly choked her to the point where she struggled to breathe.

While the boy has not been charged, his mother, Deja Taylor, is facing charges of felony child neglect and misdemeanour recklessly leaving a loaded firearm within reach of a child. In addition, Taylor has been charged with unlawfully using a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm and making false statements during the firearm purchase.

Deja Taylor is scheduled for sentencing in October and could potentially face up to 25 years in prison for her charges. The case has ignited debates about child access to firearms and the importance of addressing warning signs to prevent such incidents in educational settings.