Virginia daycare temporarily shut down after 2-year-old allegedly put director’s loaded gun in mouth

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Virginia has temporarily shut down a Richmond daycare after a 2-year-old child allegedly found and put its director’s gun in their mouth.

Thrive Learning Center East, LLC — a daycare and preschool for kids as young as 6 weeks old — has not been operating since Oct. 1 while the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) investigates the incident.

According to the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS), the incident took place on Friday, Sept. 25. On that day, an administrator brought a loaded gun to the facility in their fanny pack.

While the Virginia DSS did not identify this administrator, the Richmond Police Department confirmed the arrest of 66-year-old Martha Evans in connection with the incident. Thrive Learning Center East’s website identifies Evans as the daycare’s co-owner and director.

Per the Virginia DSS, Evans left her fanny pack, unzipped, on a low stack of cots in a classroom, about 31 inches from the floor. DSS said she regularly brought the gun to work with her and that it was often left within the reach of children.

A 2-year-old child took the gun from the fanny pack and placed it barrel-side first into their mouth, according to DSS. The child, still holding the gun in their mouth, walked over to a table where five other kids were sitting on the floor. The child briefly put the gun down,........

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