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The mother of the six-year-old boy who shot his elementary school teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, discussed the incident in an exclusive interview on Good Morning America.
Deja Taylor said that her son has an extreme case of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and suggested that it led to the shooting.
"He has ADHD. Some are able to have it at a very mild rate," she said. "He's off the wall, doesn't sit still – ever."
However, Taylor said she is willing to accept responsibility for her son's actions.
"I am, as a parent, obviously willing to take responsibility for him because he can't take responsibility" for himself, she said.
Taylor has been charged with a felony count of child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a firearm as to endanger a child. Prosecutors declined to press charges against the boy, citing his young age.
While one of the boy's parents was always in class with him due to his behavioral issues, they stopped showing up the week of the shooting. Taylor said that her son had recently started taking new medication and was doing well in school.
Taylor was pressed about how her son managed to get a hold of the gun, which was stored at the top of her closet and had a trigger lock. Her attorney, James Ellenson, deflected the question before being asked again.
"We're not ready to discuss that at this point," he said, adding, "I don't know that any adult knows exactly how he got the gun."