Tragic Accidental Shooting Leaves 1-Year-Old Girl Dead After 3-Year-Old Brother Finds Gun

Michael Tejeda, a Kansas father, is facing a lengthy prison sentence after pleading guilty in a case that left one of his young daughters dead and another child involved in a tragic shooting inside the family’s Wichita home. The case has drawn intense attention in Sedgwick County and left the community grieving over the death of a 1-year-old girl. Tejeda entered his plea in connection with a Feb. 28, 2025 incident at his South Santa Fe Street residence, where investigators say a handgun was left accessible to his 3-year-old daughter, who then shot her younger sister.

According to Sedgwick County court records, Tejeda pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and two counts of aggravated child endangerment. Prosecutors agreed to drop a more serious first-degree murder charge that had been tied to the commission of a felony. The plea deal marked a major development in a case that had already shocked local residents and raised serious questions about child safety, firearm storage, and parental responsibility.

Authorities say Tejeda was the one who called 911 after the shooting. In the recorded emergency call, he told dispatchers that his older daughter had shot the baby. Investigators later said Tejeda admitted he had fallen asleep while watching the children while their mother was away. He also acknowledged that he had left his handgun in a prop holster on his waistband before setting it on a fireplace mantel inside the home.

During the investigation, Tejeda reportedly told police that he believed the weapon was secure, but later admitted he had made a dangerous mistake. He was quoted as saying, “I knew better, should’ve put it somewhere else,” according to the affidavit. After hearing a loud bang from another room, he found the 3-year-old child crying. Officials said the younger child was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head, and a firearm was found nearby on the couch.

The details of the case have made it one of the most disturbing child shooting incidents in the Wichita area in recent memory. Prosecutors and defense attorneys have jointly recommended a midrange sentence to be served consecutively, signaling that both sides expect substantial prison time. Tejeda is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9.

The outcome of the case will now depend on the court’s final sentencing decision, but the guilty plea already reflects the seriousness of the charges and the devastating consequences of leaving a firearm within reach of children. For the family, the tragedy has brought irreversible loss. For the Wichita community, it has become a painful reminder of how quickly a single moment of negligence can turn fatal.