Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 15, 1991                   TAG: 9102150432
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: VICTORIA RATCLIFF STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CHILDREN FIND GUN ON PLAYGROUND/ PISTOL LOADED, BUT NO ONE HURT AT DAY-CARE

Police took a .380 automatic pistol with two live rounds of ammunition from the center's coordinator, who had called them as soon as the weapon was found about 11:30 a.m.

The coordinator, who asked that she not be identified, said Thursday that about 30 children - mostly ages 3 and 4 - were on the playground with three teachers when the weapon was found.

The children use the Lincoln Terrace community playground, she said.

Because teachers have been concerned about what might be on the playground, they have cautioned children all year not to touch anything they find there, the coordinator said.

"You can find just about anything on that community playground. We need a fenced-in playground," she said. "We go out before the children and sort of check around. . . . It's impossible to find everything. We've found TVs, tables, glass. But we've never found anything like this.

"We always encourage the children not to pick up anything they find on the playground, . . . and they did do as we had been telling them."

At first, when the children told a teacher they had found a gun by the fence, the teacher "thought the children were playing," the coordinator said.

But when she realized there really was a gun, the teacher picked it up and carried it into the center.

"When she told me, I couldn't believe her," the coordinator said.

The coordinator dialed 911, and the police officer who responded told them the gun was loaded and there was a live round in the chamber.

"We feel very lucky nothing happened that day," the coordinator said. "Someone could have gotten killed or hurt."