Police have secured a firearm that was found in a toddler’s possession at a local daycare in Southeast Michigan.
Canton police responded to the daycare on Monday and have since initiated an investigation.
Canton police said officers had been dispatched to a daycare on Monday morning after receiving a report of a toddler that had been found in possession of a loaded firearm.
The weapon has since been secured and an investigation is now underway.
It happened at the Children’s World Early Learning Center on Sheldon Road.
Police told FOX 2 they have video of the toddler taking the firearm out while at the daycare.
It was still in its holster.
A parent of the child is in custody.
It’s not clear how the toddler got ahold of the weapon or whose handgun it was.
FOX 2 has reached out to law enforcement for more details.
The daycare issued a statement after the incident: “We pride ourselves on being one of the safest centers in the Canton area. It is our priority. Although this incident was out of our control, we are very proud of our staff and especially the teacher who responded so quickly. It was an unfortunate incident. No one was hurt and all safety measures were followed. Because of our attention to safety and our strict adherence to protocols, we avoided what could have been a tragedy.”
Canton Police also responded, saying “our officers responded quickly, secured the weapon and immediately started an investigation.”
The chief also recognized the daycare staff for doing the right thing after tracking down the firearm.
Community members in Canton are asking for accountability after workers at a local daycare center found an unsecured weapon in a toddler’s backpack on Monday morning.
In a message shared by the school’s director, the center reported finding the weapon — which was still in its holster — after the child removed it from their backpack.
As soon as staff became aware of the firearm, they immediately intervened and secured the weapon, the message stated.
“Most importantly, no one was hurt or injured,” the statement from the school read. “The supervising teacher remained calm and followed the appropriate safety response.”
The school noted that the family has been disenrolled from the childcare center “as an obligation to maintain the safety and security of all children and staff.”
It’s not yet clear how the child got access to the weapon.
Canton police said one of the toddler’s parents has since been arrested.
The incident remains under investigation.
