No one was hurt, and Canton police praised the daycare staff for acting fast to keep every child there safe. Police Chief Joseph Bialy said the child's other parent works as a police officer in a neighboring jurisdiction, but the gun was not that officer's service weapon.
Bialy told reporters at a news conference he doesn't believe anyone involved meant any harm. He framed it instead as a question of how the firearm was stored at home before it ended up in a toddler's hands at daycare.
For the daycare and the families who send kids there, the scare raises obvious questions about how a loaded weapon made it into a child's reach. Investigators haven't said whether charges will follow. The case remains open as police sort out exactly how the gun got out of the house and into the daycare.