Toddler shoots baby sister dead after finding loaded gun in house (2025)

The father of the two girls, Michael Tejeda, 24, left his handgun at home.

A tragic incident unfolded when a three year old girl accidentally shot her one year old sister after discovering a loaded firearm in their residence.

The fatal event occurred shortly after the girls' father, 24 year old Michael Tejeda, left the weapon unattended at their Wichita, Kansas home on the evening of February 28. In his call to local law enforcement, Tejeda reported that his elder daughter had shot her younger sibling.

The 911 operator recorded hearing Tejeda ask his three year old "why she did that," and stated that she had killed her sister. Upon arrival, Wichita Police Department (WPD) Sargent Keply witnessed a firefighter carrying the toddler from the house.

The child was subsequently transported to Wesley Medical Centre where she was declared dead around 9:30pm that night. A neighbour informed police that he overheard an unidentified man's voice discussing a shooting over the phone, as per documents obtained by news outlet KAKE.

The children's mother arrived later and was escorted to the police station for questioning. She alleged that Tejeda had contacted her via FaceTime to inform her about the horrific incident involving their daughters, reports the Mirror.

She recounted how she began to panic and instructed him to dial 911 while she rushed back home. Upon reaching, she found her three year old repeatedly apologising.

Tejeda was also brought to the police station where he explained that he had been caring for the children while their mother was away. He mentioned that they were napping and watching TV, and he dozed off in the living room around 6pm.

A statement acquired by the media reveals that Tejeda reportedly woke around 8pm, realising he had dozed off with his holstered handgun. He then removed it and placed it on a fireplace approximately four feet high.

Upon waking a second time, Tejeda allegedly informed officers that he went to change his clothes in the bedroom. During this, he heard a loud bang, followed by his daughter rushing into the room in tears.

Tejeda is said to have questioned the source of the noise, to which his daughter reportedly confessed it was his gun and apologised.

The document further states: "He went into the living room and found [the 1-year-old] with a gunshot wound to her head while she was lying on the couch," adding, "Tejeda said he found his firearm lying on the couch next to [the child]."

The affidavit noted that the girl seemed more interested in play than discussing the incident but did mention an earlier injury for which she received a Band-Aid.

Tejeda now faces charges of first-degree murder in commission of a felony, two counts of aggravated child endangerment, and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon.

Data from the Gun Violence Archive, a US-wide shooting database, indicates that since January 1, 54 children aged between 0 and 11 have been fatally shot in the country. In 2024, the same age group saw 250 fatal shootings.