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Daycare parent arrested after toddler finds loaded handgun

By Drooid · Oct 1, 2026, 12:36 AM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Police Arrest Parent

Police in Canton Township, Michigan arrested a parent after a toddler retrieved a loaded handgun from a backpack.
A supervising teacher calmly secured the firearm and removed it from the child.
The gun likely belonged to the non-officer parent and is not a service weapon.
The daycare disenrolled the family.
No children or staff were injured.

Summary

Michigan Enforces Gun Law

Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office expected a charging decision by Sept. 29.
Michigan’s safe-storage law, effective Feb 2024, requires locked, unloaded guns around minors.
Violating the law and injuring a minor can bring up to five years prison and a $5,000 fine.
Prosecutors reviewed a warrant request on Sept. 29 but did not schedule an arraignment.
Children’s World Early Learning Center announced new backpack-search procedures to boost on-site security.

History

Historical Context

The April 20 1999 Columbine High School shooting, in which Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 students and a teacher, spurred a 2000 law requiring safety locks on firearms in homes with minors. That model inspired Michigan’s 2024 child-access-prevention statute, leading prosecutors to charge a parent after a toddler accessed a loaded handgun.

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Police Arrest Parent

Police in Canton Township, Michigan arrested a parent after a toddler retrieved a loaded handgun from a backpack.
A supervising teacher calmly secured the firearm and removed it from the child.
The gun likely belonged to the non-officer parent and is not a service weapon.
The daycare disenrolled the family.
No children or staff were injured.

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