Michael Tejeda (Sedgwick County (Kan.) Sheriff’s Office). Background: The street where Tejada’s 3-year-old daughter allegedly used his gun to shoot his 1-year-old daughter (Google Maps).
A Kansas dad is in custody and facing murder charges after his 3-year-old daughter allegedly shot and killed her 1-year-old sister — with their father’s gun.
Michael Tejeda, 25, is in the custody of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, online records show. He was booked on March 1, but recently released records offer insight as to what allegedly happened in his home the night of Feb 28.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by local ABC affiliate KAKE, Tejeda called 911 that evening to report a shooting. He reportedly told the dispatcher that his 3-year-old daughter shot his 1-year-old daughter and can be heard asking the 3-year-old “why she did that.”
First responders rushed the 1-year-old was to a hospital, where she was pronounced deceased shortly before 9:30 p.m., KAKE reported.
After being taken into custody, Tejada reportedly told police that after the children’s mother left, they were napping and watching television. Tejeda himself told cops he fell asleep in the living room and woke up at around 6 p.m. Two hours later, KAKE reported, Tejeda got up and realized he had fallen asleep with his handgun in a prop holster in the front of his waistband. He reportedly told police that the fake holster didn’t have any retention and that a firearm could fall out if it turned upside down while in the holster.
Tejeda allegedly said that he removed the gun from his waistband and put it on the fireplace in the living room. He estimated the fireplace to be around 4 feet tall.
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The girls’ father told police that he was in his bedroom changing his clothes when he heard a loud bang, after which his daughter ran toward her room crying, the KAKE story said, citing the affidavit. When he asked the girl what the sound was, the 3-year-old replied she was sorry and that it was his gun.
“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,” the affidavit reportedly says. “Tejeda said he found his firearm lying on the couch next to [the child].”
He reportedly told police that the 3-year-old daughter had been “curious” about the gun before and had commented on it. After the shooting at the home, the girl was taken to a child advocacy center for a forensics interview, where, according to KAKE, she was reportedly “mostly interested in playing but did say she received an injury earlier in the day and received a Band-Aid.”
“She did not mention anything about the incident,” the affidavit noted.
The children’s mother, a 24-year-old woman not identified in reports, was allegedly at a friend’s apartment getting tattoos and had left the children in Tejeda’s care. She reportedly told police that she got a call from Tejeda as she was finishing up telling her the older girl shot the younger one, at which point she told Tejada to call 911 and immediately drove to the house.
The mother reportedly told police that when she arrived home, she immediately grabbed the 3-year-old, who kept saying she was sorry.
Tejeda has been charged with first-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon by a felon, and two counts of aggravated child endangerment.
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