How a loaded gun ended up in a toddler's backpack at Michigan daycare, and the teacher who acted in seconds

A toddler pulled a loaded handgun from a backpack at a daycare centre in the US state of Michigan on Monday. A teacher stepped in at once, and no one was hurt, police said.

One parent has been taken into custody, according to NBC News.

The incident took place at Children's World Early Learning Center in Canton Township, a community west of Detroit. The gun was in a holster inside the child's backpack. Police Chief Joseph Bialy said video of the incident shows the toddler taking the weapon out of the bag.


A teacher was in the room the whole time. She saw what was happening and moved quickly to take the gun away, Bialy said.

He praised the staff at a news conference on Monday. He said he had watched the video and the staff were "prepared and ready" to remove the gun and keep the children safe. Without that quick action, he said, he did not know what kind of situation police would be dealing with now.

Police have said there is no ongoing threat to the community.

Police have not named the parents. Bialy said one of them is a law enforcement officer in a nearby area. That parent is not the one taken into custody, he said, and he did not believe the gun was a service weapon.

No criminal charges had been filed by Tuesday afternoon. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said a warrant request was under review, and there was no arraignment that day.

Action by the daycare

The daycare has disenrolled the family, according to NBC affiliate WDIV in Detroit. It will also begin checking backpacks that come into the building.

"We remain committed to ensuring our center is a safe haven for every child and family we serve," the centre said in a statement.

Safe storage

Bialy called it a serious incident and stressed the need to store guns safely. He said he did not think anyone involved meant to cause harm, and that the case comes down to how the firearm was secured.

"The law is clear," he said. If a child is present or likely to be present, firearms must be secured.