Toddler pulls out loaded handgun at Michigan daycare as quick-thinking staff springs into action
A Michigan daycare teacher sprang into action after a toddler pulled out a loaded handgun.
The unidentified child initially had the firearm holstered at Children’s World Early Learning Center in Canton Township on Monday morning, school officials explained in a message to parents, according to Click on Detroit.
When the child then removed the weapon, a teacher intervened and secured it before calling police to the scene.
It remains unclear how the child got a hold of the weapon.
But one of the child’s parents has since been arrested, and officers are now working with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office to determine charges.
Authorities have not yet released the name of the parent who was arrested, but said another parent who serves as a police officer in a neighboring community was not arrested.
Canton Police Chief Joseph Bialy called the incident an ‘extremely serious matter’ and commended the daycare staff for responding so quickly.
‘I’ve watched the video, and I’ve seen what their staff did, and they were prepared and ready to be able to remove the firearm and keep all the kids safe there,’ he told CBS News.
An unidentified toddler pulled out a loaded handgun at Children’s World Early Learning Center in Canton Township, Michigan on Monday morning
A teacher immediately intervened, securing the firearm and calling police to the scene
Canton Police Chief Joseph Bialy called the incident an ‘extremely serious matter’ and commended the daycare staff for responding so quickly
‘The protocols that they had in place, the fact that they had an instructor in the room that was able to safely remove the firearm from this toddler, I do believe kept everybody safe and avoided a tragedy,’ Bialy added.
In a separate statement, officials at Children’s World Early Learning Center said they ‘pride ourselves on being one of the safest centers in the Canton area,’ calling it their ‘priority.’
‘Although this incident was out of our control, we are very proud of our staff and especially the teacher who responded so quickly,’ school officials said.
‘It was an unfortunate incident. No one was hurt and all safety measures were followed,’ they noted.
‘Because of our attention to safety and our strict adherence to protocols, we avoided what could have been a tragedy.’
As authorities now continue to investigate the terrifying incident, Bialy urged gun owners to keep their firearms safe.
‘We have to understand where our firearms are and we have a duty to make sure that we keep them secure,’ he said.
‘The law is very clear: If a child is present or you anticipate a child being present, you have to take those precautions.’
