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Loaded Handgun Discovered In Baby's Crib By Toronto Police During Search Warrant

Toronto Police officers make three arrests after finding a loaded handgun inside a baby's crib in Scarborough.

Toronto Police officers found a .45 calibre Colt 1911 handgun inside a baby's crib, cocked back and fully loaded while conducting a search warrant inside a home last week.  At the time of the search, six children were inside the home where the gun was found. Last Thursday, Toronto Police Deputy Chief James Ramer shared a photo of the loaded gun lying inside a baby's crib at the Scarborough home, alongside a stuffed animal and some clothing.  The gun had eight bullets inside, with one already in the chamber.

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Det. Sgt. Andrew Steinwall informed CTV Toronto, "It would take very little contact to set a firearm like that off."

The six children who were inside the Scarborough home at the time of the search warrant were between 2 and 14 years of age.  The loaded gun's location was easily accessible to the children, according to police, and fortunately, no one was injured.

@TorontoPolice Integrated Gun & Gang Task Force seize a loaded .45 calibre handgun located in a child’s crib, during a search warrant executed on March 20th 2019. pic.twitter.com/pTM8cSHMPh

March 21, 2019

The search warrant was connected to the criminal investigation of three males who police suspected were in possession of a gun, as Toronto Police's Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force had initiated an investigation earlier in the year.

"We’re dealing with the most vulnerable people in the communities right now – children. And if they have access or if they somehow inadvertently come into contact with a firearm like that, the outcome could be tragic," Steinwall told CTV Toronto.  "I’m a father myself and this touches close to home for me."

Three Toronto-area men - Trayvon Palmer, 19, Jordan Marcelle, 25, and Kacey Downer, 22 - have been charged and arrested as a result of the investigation, and are expected to appear in court next week.

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Each suspect is facing one count of unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm, one count of possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm knowingly without holding a licence and registration certificate, and one count of possession of a loaded prohibited firearm.

Additionally, police have also laid an additional charge against Palmer and Marcelle for carrying a firearm contrary to a prohibition order.