Toddler Put Loaded Gun in Mouth While Day Care Workers Looked at Phones, Inspectors Say

RICHMOND, Va. — A 2-year-old pulled a loaded handgun from a day care administrator’s unzipped bag and put the barrel into their mouth while two employees looked at their phones, according to Virginia inspection records describing a series of failures that left children within reach of a firearm.

The Sept. 25 incident at Thrive Learning Center East lasted approximately 15 seconds before a staff member intervened. But investigators say the conditions that allowed it had existed for months: The administrator routinely brought the gun to the center, and employees waited four days to report what happened.

The facility has not operated since Oct. 1 and will remain closed during administrative proceedings, according to the Virginia Department of Education. Administrator Martha Evans, 66, faces two firearm-related criminal charges.

According to inspection findings, Evans placed an unzipped fanny pack containing the loaded gun on a stack of classroom cots approximately 31 inches above the floor.

The toddler reached into the bag, removed the weapon and placed it barrel-first into their mouth. The child then approached a table near five other children, set the gun down and picked it up again, the report said.

Three staff members were in the room. Two were looking down at cellphones, while the third had their back turned while putting socks on another child.

A staff member eventually noticed the firearm and retrieved it.

The findings place several basic child care safeguards under scrutiny: keeping dangerous objects inaccessible, actively supervising toddlers and promptly reporting suspected abuse or neglect. In this case, inspectors identified failures involving all three.

Employees described Evans’ practice of bringing the firearm to work as a “normal routine,” according to Education Department documents obtained by Richmond television station WTVR. Inspection records indicated that she had regularly brought the weapon to the facility for nearly four months.

The reporting delay added another concern.

Authorities were not notified until Sept. 29, four days after the incident, despite a requirement to report suspected abuse or neglect within 24 hours, according to the state’s findings. wtvr.com

The Education Department said it began investigating with Child Protective Services after learning of the allegations and conducted a follow-up visit Sept. 30.

Inspectors also identified other problems, including a 14-month-old left unsupervised in a closed infant room and deficiencies involving records and supervision, according to reporting by Richmond station WWBT.

The center submitted a corrective action plan that included additional training and a zero-tolerance weapons policy. State officials said they recommended the strongest available consequences. The facility’s ultimate licensing outcome remains subject to administrative proceedings. 12onyourside.com

The corrective plan calls for employees to receive training on mandatory reporting, recognizing child abuse and neglect, and contacting emergency services or the appropriate state authorities. It also includes safety training involving local police.

Those proposed changes address what staff should do going forward. They do not resolve the criminal allegations or establish whether the center will be permitted to reopen.

WTVR reported that Evans’ husband, identified as the facility’s managing member, declined to explain why she brought a loaded gun into the day care.

“No comment,” he told the station.

When asked why parents had not been notified, he ended the call, WTVR reported.

Evans faces charges involving possession of a firearm at a child day care facility and unsafe handling or storage of the weapon. Local reports have used differing descriptions of the second charge. The criminal investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations have not been proved in court.

The central finding, however, is stark: Inspectors say a toddler obtained a loaded gun inside a classroom with three adults present — and held it in their mouth before anyone stopped them.