A Kansas father is currently in custody, facing charges of murder after his 3-year-old daughter allegedly shot her 1-year-old sister with his firearm. Michael Tejeda, 25, is being held by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, as indicated by online records. Tejeda was taken into custody on March 1, and recently disclosed records provide a glimpse into the tragic events that unfolded in his home on the night of February 28.
According to an arrest affidavit, Tejeda dialed 911 on the night of the incident to report a shooting. He informed the dispatcher that his 3-year-old daughter had shot his 1-year-old daughter and can be heard questioning the older child about her actions. The 1-year-old was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly before 9:30 p.m.
Tejeda, after being taken into custody, reportedly told police that the children were napping and watching television after their mother had left the house. He admitted to falling asleep in the living room with his handgun in a prop holster in the front of his waistband. He woke up around 6 p.m. and two hours later, he realized that he had fallen asleep with his firearm. He told police that the prop holster didn’t have any retention and that a firearm could fall out if it turned upside down.
Tejeda reportedly removed the gun from his waistband and placed it on the living room fireplace, which he estimated to be around 4 feet tall. He was in his bedroom changing his clothes when he heard a loud bang. His daughter ran to her room crying, and when he asked her about the noise, she apologized and said it was his gun.
The affidavit reportedly states that Tejeda found his 1-year-old daughter on the couch with a gunshot wound to her head and his firearm lying next to her. He told police that his 3-year-old daughter had previously shown curiosity about the gun. After the incident, the older girl was taken to a child advocacy center for a forensic interview, where she seemed more interested in playing and mentioned an earlier injury that required a Band-Aid, but did not mention the shooting.
The children’s mother, a 24-year-old woman, was reportedly at a friend’s apartment getting tattoos at the time of the incident. She received a call from Tejeda informing her of the shooting, and she instructed him to call 911 before rushing home. Upon arrival, she immediately comforted the 3-year-old, who kept apologizing.
Tejeda has been charged with first-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon by a felon, and two counts of aggravated child endangerment.