Parents charged after 3-year-old found with loaded handgun at daycare: Officials
Two parents are facing charges after a 3-year-old boy was found with a loaded, holstered handgun inside his Michigan daycare, officials said.
Rabab Ibrahim Al Zayad, 27, has been charged with one count of unsafe storage and Brandon John Ely, 28, has been charged with one count of fourth-degree child abuse, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office announced Thursday.
The 3-year-old was at Children's World in Canton, just outside of Detroit, on Monday when he found the gun in his backpack, and he passed it to other students, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
A teacher noticed the gun and immediately intervened to take it away, prosecutors said. Officers then responded and secured the weapon, according to Canton police.
No injuries were reported.
"The message here is that no matter how busy our lives are, we have a great responsibility if we're going to choose to own a firearm," Canton Police Chief Joseph Bialy told ABC Detroit affiliate WXYZ.
The parents were arraigned Thursday morning and a pre-trial conference was set for Oct. 30, prosecutors said.
Children's World said in a statement, "There is nothing we take more seriously than the safety, security and well-being of the children entrusted to our care. We understand the concerns this event has caused our families, and as educators and parents ourselves, we fully share those feelings."
"We are proud of the immediate response our teachers took to ensure the safety of our children and are grateful that nobody was harmed," the statement continued. "... Effective immediately, we are introducing additional measures, including checking backpacks."
