Thrive Learning Center East in Richmond, Virginia (WTVR).
A 2-year-old at a daycare found a loaded gun left in an unzipped fanny pack and placed it in their mouth as oblivious staff members looked down at their phones, Virginia authorities said.
The incident occurred at Thrive Learning Center East on Cofer Road in Richmond. Martha Evans, who operates the daycare, is facing charges of possession of a firearm on school property and reckless handling of a firearm, according to court records and local CBS affiliate WTVR.
A report by the Virginia Department of Social Services said Evans and two other staff members were caring for eight children on Sept. 25. Evans allegedly left the loaded gun "accessible to children" on a stack of cots about 2 1/2 feet off the ground.
The toddler took the gun out of the fanny pack and put it in their mouth before putting it down on a table near five other children, the report said. Meanwhile, Evans and a staff member were looking down at their phones while another staff member had her back turned as she put socks on another child, investigators wrote.
About 15 seconds passed before anyone noticed the child was in possession of the gun, according to the report. The staff member putting socks on the other child saw the gun, "immediately jumped up from a seated position," grabbed the weapon and handed it to Evans, per the report.
"[Evans] has regularly brought a firearm into the center inside of a fanny bag for nearly four months and routinely left the fanny bag accessible to children," investigators wrote.
The daycare allegedly did not report the incident to the Department of Social Services for four days.
"All staff will be trained/retrained on understanding mandated reporting requirements and what is included under the definition child abuse and neglect. Staff will be trained to report offenses to 911, the Department of Social Services, and/or Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline. Staff will be given information for reporting as well as be posted at the daycare in each classroom," the state wrote in its Plan of Correction. "Thrive Learning Center East will adhere to and train all staff regarding "Zero Tolerance" for firearms or other weapons on daycare property.
Investigators also found other violations including a 14-month-old who was left unsupervised during a nap and other children who did not have documentation of the required immunizations, per the state.
WTVR reported that the daycare closed Friday.
Evans has since bonded out of jail. Her next court date is set for Dec. 15.
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