Justice · Daycare gun caseMichigan toddler brings loaded gun to daycare; parents face different chargesAired October 2, 2026 at 1:20 PM UTCWritten October 2, 2026 at 1:36 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:09A three-year-old brought a loaded handgun to daycare where children passed it0:13around.0:13No one was injured, but a loaded firearm reached children in a classroom where0:17adults were responsible for their care.0:19Both parents now face misdemeanor charges, and the charges are different.0:24How did the gun reach the child's backpack, and what has the case established so0:28far?0:29A teacher spotted the handgun being passed among students at Children's World Early0:33Learning Center on Sheldon Road in Canton, Michigan.0:35Staff intervened, secured the gun, and police were called.0:38The incident happened on September 28, 2026.0:41No shots were fired.0:42The child had brought the loaded handgun into the classroom in his backpack.0:45A holster did not keep the gun out of this child's hands.0:48The firearm was inside the backpack in a holster, and the boy removed it before0:52staff intervened.0:53Describing it as secured does not establish that it was locked away or inaccessible.0:57The children's handling of the gun and the staff's intervention are established, but1:01the complete sequence is not how many children touched it, how long they held it,1:06and whether anyone pulled the trigger remain unknown.1:08Both parents appeared in court on October 1st and pleaded not guilty.1:12Brandon John Ely, twenty eight, and Rabab Ibrahim Alzayad, twenty seven, were1:16arraigned in the 35th District Court in Plymouth.1:19Wayne County Prosecutor Kim Worthy brought the charges.1:21Ely faces fourth-degree child abuse, not an unsafe storage charge.1:25His potential maximum is one year in jail if convicted.1:28Al-Zayad faces unsafe firearm storage, carrying a potential maximum of 93 days.1:33Treating the two as identical unsafe storage cases obscures that distinction.1:37These are allegations, not convictions.1:40The prosecution still has to establish them through the legal process, and no ruling1:43on guilt or sentence is established.1:46The parents' names also need correcting, Brandon John Ely, not Brandon Eli, and1:50Rabab Ibrahim Alzayad, not Rabab Alzad.1:53Those different spellings refer to the same defendants.1:55The underlying charging documents, arraignment orders, and complete court docket1:59have not been independently examined.2:01Ely put his own firearm count at nine in court.2:04That is his statement, not an independently verified inventory.2:08He was ordered to surrender all his guns, but the order is not proof that every2:11firearm has already been turned over.2:13Compliance remains unverified.2:15Detroit police placed Ely on administrative duty.2:18He is a Detroit police officer, and that employment action does not establish2:22dismissal, a final disciplinary finding, or the outcome of an internal2:26investigation.2:27The handgun brought to daycare was not his service weapon.2:30That distinction does not identify its owner or explain how it reached the backpack.2:34The parent initially in custody was not the police officer parent.2:37At the September 29 stage, prosecutors were still weighing charges against a parent,2:41including the officer.2:42Ely was also being investigated by another agency that was not identified.2:46Both parents' later court appearances established that both were charged.2:49They do not retroactively make Ely the person initially detained.2:52Current bond amounts, custody, or release status, and complete release conditions2:56are not verified.2:57Michigan's secure storage law requires precautions before a child gains access.3:02It took effect February 13th, 2024.3:04The requirement applies when someone stores or leaves a firearm unattended on3:08premises under their control and knows, or reasonably should know, That a minor is3:12or is likely to be present.3:14The alternatives include a locked box or container or keeping the firearm unloaded3:18and securing it with a properly engaged locking device.3:21A holster alone should not be confused with those protections.3:24The precise statutory subsection and full elements underlying Al-Zayad's charge have3:29not been independently established.3:31The complete penalty provisions are unavailable for that verification.3:34The case's one-year and 93-day potential jail terms are established, but Ely's3:38one-year exposure belongs to the separate fourth-degree child abuse charge, not an3:42interchangeable unsafe storage offense.3:44The toddler and a sibling have both lost their places at the daycare.3:47The center disenrolled them and added backpack checks.3:50The earlier description of the family being disenrolled is now more specific.3:54Two children were affected.3:55The previous backpack check policy is not established, nor is the number of other3:59children present or whether the new checks have uncovered additional hazards.4:03No finding of negligence against the center or the teacher who intervened is4:07established.4:08The gun's route into the backpack remains unexplained.4:11What is known is that a loaded handgun reached the classroom.4:15Children could access it, staff secured it, and both parents now face separate4:19charges.4:20What remains unknown is who owned it, who put it there, where it had previously been4:24stored, and what each parent knew.4:25Ely's final employment outcome and compliance with the gun surrender order are also4:29unresolved.4:30No verified next hearing date is available.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗