A potentially dangerous situation unfolded at a daycare centre in Michigan after a toddler pulled a loaded handgun from a backpack inside a classroom. The incident happened Monday at Children's World Early Learning Center in Canton Township, west of Detroit, but was brought under control before anyone was injured.
Police said one of the child's parents was taken into custody as investigators look into how the firearm ended up in the toddler's backpack.
Teacher quickly takes gun away
According to Canton Police Chief Joseph Bialy, surveillance footage showed the child removing the firearm from the backpack. The gun was reportedly inside a holster.
A teacher who was present in the classroom noticed what was happening and immediately intervened, securing the weapon before the situation could escalate.
Bialy said he reviewed the footage and praised the daycare employee for reacting quickly.
“I’ve watched the video, and I’ve seen what their staff did, and they were prepared and ready to remove this firearm and keep all the kids safe there. And I commend them for their actions,” he said.
He added that the teacher's intervention may have prevented a much more serious incident.
Parent taken into custody
Police confirmed that one of the toddler's parents has been taken into custody as part of the investigation. Authorities have not publicly identified the parent or announced criminal charges.
One of the child's parents is a law enforcement officer in a neighbouring jurisdiction, according to police. Bialy clarified that the firearm involved was not the officer's service weapon.
The case is being investigated by the Canton Police Department's Detective Bureau and is expected to be forwarded to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office for review once the investigation is completed.
As of Tuesday, no criminal charges had been filed, and there had been no arraignment.
Daycare disenrolls family, introduces new safety measures
Following the incident, Children's World Early Learning Center disenrolled the family involved. The centre has also announced additional security measures, including checking backpacks brought into the facility.
The daycare said its staff followed the safety procedures already in place and credited the teacher for responding immediately.
“We remain committed to ensuring our center is a safe haven for every child and family we serve,” the centre said in a statement.
Police also said there was no continuing threat to the wider community.
Police chief stresses importance of safe gun storage
The incident has renewed attention on firearm storage around young children. Bialy said investigators did not believe there was any deliberate attempt to harm anyone and instead highlighted the importance of keeping guns inaccessible to children.
“I don’t think there was any ill intent by truly anyone involved,” Bialy said. “I think it really falls back on safe security of a firearm, making sure that we know where our firearms are located, that they are not accessible to anyone.”
He also stressed that firearm owners have a responsibility to take precautions when children are present.
“We have to understand where our firearms are, and we have a duty to make sure that we keep them secure,” Bialy said. “The law is very clear. If a child is present or you anticipate a child being present, you have to take those precautions.”
Bialy described the footage of the toddler handling the loaded firearm as difficult to watch, while noting that the quick intervention by the daycare worker ensured that no one was hurt.
