PEABODY, MA — A day care worker found a loaded gun in a child’s bag Friday morning, according to Peabody police. The discovery happened at Little Sprouts Day Care on First Avenue. When officers opened the bag, they found a loaded Smith & Wesson handgun, police said. The gun belonged to the child’s father, who dropped his child off with the bag, police said.
The father, who was not identified, has a license to carry a gun, police said.
Little Sprouts CEO Sarah Schroeder said all parents were notified as soon as possible, and the man’s child was withdrawn from the day care. Police Chief Thomas Griffin praised Little Sprouts’ staff for their “attentiveness and quick action.”
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“I am proud of our team’s prompt and responsive actions to protect the children in our school and we are grateful that all are safe,” Schroeder said in a statement to WHDH. “We continue to feel fully supported by local authorities and are deeply appreciative of their partnership in prioritizing our school’s security.”
Friday’s scare happened amid heightened gun fears following two mass shootings earlier this month in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, that resulted in at least 31 deaths. Following the shootings, some Dedham residents expressed outrage over a gun shop opening near a playground next month.