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Passerby sees 3-year-old walking down the street alone with a loaded gun, Iowa cops say

The toddler’s mother told police she kept a gun on her nightstand, media outlets reported.
The toddler’s mother told police she kept a gun on her nightstand, media outlets reported. Getty Images/iStockphoto

Police say an Iowa mother is facing charges after her 3-year-old child was found walking down the street carrying a gun, according to media reports.

A passerby saw the toddler walking alone down the sidewalk at about 7:45 p.m. June 14 holding a loaded handgun, KCRG reported, citing a criminal complaint.

The person took the gun away and walked the child home, the station reported.

According to police, the child’s mother said she was cleaning the house and didn’t realize her toddler wandered off, KWWL reported.

She told police she owned a handgun that she kept on her nightstand, the station reported.

The 31-year-old Iowa City woman was arrested on charges of child endangerment and making firearms available to a minor, KGAN reported.

The woman was released from jail on June 17 after posting her $3,000 bail, The Gazette reported.

McClatchy News is not naming the mother to protect the identity of the child.

Iowa City is about a 25-mile drive southeast from Cedar Rapids.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2024 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Passerby sees 3-year-old walking down the street alone with a loaded gun, Iowa cops say."

Lauren Liebhaber
mcclatchy-newsroom
Lauren Liebhaber covers international science news with a focus on taxonomy and archaeology at McClatchy. She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University and a master’s degree from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Previously, she worked as a data journalist at Stacker.
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