Woman charged after gun found in diaper bag at daycare, residents are concerned

RIVER BEND, N.C. (WITN) – A woman has been charged after staff discovered a gun in a diaper bag at a Craven County daycare on Monday.

The discovery of the weapon concerned many River Bend residents.

River Bend Police announced that 27-year-old Reanna Lee has been charged with carrying a concealed handgun after it was found in a diaper bag at Excel Creative Early Learning on Pirates Road.

“I wonder what the point was in having a gun in a diaper bag,” said River Bend resident Jeff Griffin.

A mother who used to work at a daycare center says she was shocked when she heard the news, but not surprised.

“Parents are not required to do a background check before entering daycare, so to prevent this they will likely need to purchase metal detectors,” said River Bend resident Christine Zecca.

A spokesperson for Excel Creative Learning Center says the bag was dropped off by a parent (Reanna Lee) as part of a routine drop-off.

The spokesperson added that a teacher discovered the gun while looking for supplies in the bag and immediately reported it to River Bend police.

River Bend Police Chief Sean Joll says he was surprised when he heard the news Monday morning.

“It’s not something we expect here in River Bend, but it happens and we’ve dealt with it,” Chief Joll said.

Chief Joll said gun owners have a responsibility that comes with the gun.

“A responsible adult should take care of their weapons and teach those around them to use them safely. We must remember that children cannot distinguish between fake weapons and real weapons,” said Chief Joll.

River Bend police ruled this an isolated incident and said the weapon was safely secured by the responding officer on Monday. No injuries have been reported.