2-year-old puts loaded gun in mouth at Richmond daycare, report says

A 2-year-old child at Thrive Learning Center East in Richmond reportedly put a loaded gun in their mouth while at daycare, according to a Department of Social Services report cited by NBC12 and other local outlets.

The incident occurred on September 25 when an administrator brought a loaded firearm onto the campus in an unzipped fanny pack placed on a low stack of cots inside the classroom, making it accessible to children.

The child held the gun for about 15 seconds, even placing it on a table near five other children before staff intervened and retrieved the firearm, the report states.

At the time, the administrator and another staff member were reportedly looking at their phones, and another staff member had their back turned, which delayed the response to the situation.

The daycare did not report the incident to the Department of Social Services within the required 24 hours, waiting four days to notify authorities, according to the report.

Following the incident, the firearm was removed from the children's area, secured in a lock box, and taken off the premises. The daycare has been instructed to retrain staff on mandated reporting and child abuse definitions as part of a corrective plan from DSS.