Toddler finds loaded gun at Michigan daycare; parents face charges

A toddler retrieved a loaded handgun from a backpack at Children's World Early Learning Center in Canton, Michigan, on Monday morning. The firearm, still in its holster, was immediately secured by a staff member who noticed the child with the weapon and took swift action. No injuries were reported. Canton Police Chief Joseph Bialy praised the teacher's intervention, saying the quick response prevented a potential tragedy. "The video is hard to watch, but I'm comforted by the fact that nobody was injured," Bialy told reporters.

Police said the parents of the toddler will face charges and were scheduled for an initial court appearance on Thursday. One parent is a Detroit Police Department officer; the other, identified as a nurse in some reports, is the gun owner. The firearm was not a service weapon. The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office declined to specify charges before a judge signed off on them. Under Michigan law, firearms must be locked up when children are present; penalties vary depending on circumstances.

The incident prompted the daycare to enhance security protocols, including mandatory backpack checks. Canton police also reached out to the Detroit Police Department's internal affairs division to conduct a concurrent investigation. Authorities emphasized the broader issue of unsecured firearms in homes with children. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy previously reported 39 cases of death or injury in the county since 2020 involving children accessing unsecured firearms. The case follows recent similar incidents in the region, including a September incident in Pontiac where parents were charged after their 3-year-old was fatally shot with an unsecured firearm.