WASHINGTON — A 3-year-old boy died after choking on food inside a day care in a federal building.

NBC Washington reports that a day care worker at the Child Development Center at the Department of Labor told Sterling Moore’s mother that he choked on a meatball at lunch and stopped breathing. Sterling’s mother is an employee of the Department of Labor.

Sterling was transported to Children’s Hospital, according to a statement by the day care center.

Sterling’s grandmother Cheryl McCarthy told NBC Washington she’s in shock and angry. “I want to know where the teachers were. What were they doing? How long did it take for them to realize that he was choking?” she said.

D.C. police is waiting for the medical examiner’s report before proceeding.

Watch NBC Washington’s coverage: