Only on 6: Staff called gun at Richmond daycare a ‘normal routine’ before 2-year-old accessed it, records say

RICHMOND, Va. — Newly obtained state records reveal that the day a 2-year-old got ahold of a loaded gun at Thrive Learning Day Care East was not the first time the center’s administrator had brought a firearm to work.

CBS 6 reporter Kelsey Jones obtained documents from the Virginia Department of Education that say the daycare’s administrator, Martha Evans, brought a gun to the Richmond center on Sept. 25. According to the records, staff members said Evans often brought the loaded gun to the center and described it as a “normal routine.”

The documents provide additional details about an incident CBS 6 first reported last week after obtaining records from social services.

According to those records, the gun was inside Evans’ unzipped fanny pack, which had been placed on a low stack of cots inside a classroom.

A 2-year-old took the firearm out of the fanny pack and put the gun in their mouth, according to the Department of Social Services records. The child then walked toward a table where other children were nearby.

PAST COVERAGE: 2-year-old put loaded gun in mouth at Richmond daycare, state records say

A statement of facts from VDOE says the child had the gun for approximately 15 seconds before staff members noticed and took it away.
The records say the child then attempted to pick up the gun again.

Despite the incident, it took four days for staff to report what happened to the Department of Social Services. State law requires the incident to be reported within 24 hours, according to the records.

CBS 6 reached out to the daycare and Evans for comment Friday but did not receive a response. On Tuesday, we followed up by calling the daycare’s managing member, who is Evans’ husband. When asked why his wife brought a loaded gun to work he responded, “No comment.”

We then asked why parents were not notified. He hung up the phone without answering the question.

The state has temporarily shut down the daycare. According to the VDOE statement of facts, the state intends to permanently suspend the center’s license.

“The safety of children in child care facilities is paramount to all we do and the VDOE will continue to exercise its full authority under the law as quickly as it can to keep children safe,” VDOE said in a statement.

As soon as VDOE was made aware of the allegations of a child accessing a gun at Thrive Learning Center East, VDOE staff immediately initiated an investigation with Child Protective Services and conducted a follow up visit at the center the next day, Wednesday, September 30," the department said in a statement to CBS 6. "We then moved through the investigative steps with all appropriate haste, and recommended the strongest possible consequences. Thrive has not been operating since October 1, and will not while administrative proceedings are taking place.

Evans is charged with possession of a firearm at a school and reckless handling of a gun. She is expected to have an administrative hearing Thursday and is scheduled to appear before a judge in December.

This is a developing story, so check back with WTVR.com for updates. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have info, photos or videos to share.