DCF investigating after handgun found at day care in Peabody

A gun prompted a scare at a day care in Peabody on Friday.

A staff member at Little Sprouts found an MP380 Smith and Wesson inside a child's diaper bag.

According to a release from the day care, a staff member discovered the handgun and brought the bag to the Executive Director. That staff member followed safety procedures and did not remove the handgun from the bag.

The Executive Director immediately called the police, and they arrived within minutes to remove the gun.

All families with children enrolled were notified and the incident was reported to the Department of Early Education and Care.

No one was hurt and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) is investigating the incident on behalf of the child whose diaper bag contained the handgun.

It is believed the gun belonged to a parent.

Due to Little Sprout's policies, the family has been removed from Little Sprouts.

In response, the CEO of Little Sprouts said in part, "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. We continue to feel fully supported by local authorities and are deeply appreciative of their partnership in prioritizing our school's security."

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Editor's Note: A previous version of this story reported that a staff member removed the gun from the bag. It has been corrected to say the staff member followed safety procedures by taking the bag to the Executive Director. 

Cox Media Group