'I knew better': Dad pleads guilty after 3-year-old girl shot and killed her 1-year-old sister with gun he left on fireplace

A Kansas begetter is facing important situation clip for the decease of his 1-year-old daughter, who was changeable successful the caput by his 3-year-old girl aft helium near his handgun retired wrong scope of the older child.

Last week, Michael Tejeda, 26, pleaded guilty to 1 number each of murder successful the 2nd degree and transgression possession of a limb by a convicted felon, arsenic good arsenic 2 counts of aggravated kid endangerment, according to Sedgwick County tribunal records.

Under the presumption of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped a much superior complaint of first-degree execution successful the committee of a felony.

The underlying incidental occurred connected Feb. 28, 2025, astatine the family's location connected South Santa Fe Street successful Wichita.

Tejeda himself called 911 that nighttime to study the shooting, according to an apprehension affidavit obtained by Wichita-based ABC affiliate KAKE.

The suspect told the dispatcher his older girl changeable his younger girl and tin beryllium heard asking the 3-year-old "why she did that."

Tejeda told constabulary helium fell dormant watching his children portion their parent was retired — and realized helium near his handgun successful a prop holster successful the beforehand of his waistband. He went connected to archer investigators the fake holster did not person immoderate retention and that a firearm could autumn retired if it turned upside down portion successful the holster. Tejeda added that helium removed the weapon from his waistband and enactment it connected the mantel of the surviving country fireplace — which helium estimated was astir 4 feet tall.

"I knew better, should've enactment it determination else," the suspect told constabulary aft the shooting, according to the affidavit.

Tejeda said the shooting itself happened portion helium was successful his chamber changing clothes. At immoderate point, helium said helium heard a large bang, followed by his girl moving toward her country crying.

When the suspect asked the miss what the dependable was, the 3-year-old said she was atrocious and that it was his gun.

"He went into the surviving country and recovered [the 1-year-old] with a gunshot coiled to her caput portion she was lying connected the couch," the affidavit reads. "Tejeda said helium recovered his firearm lying connected the sofa adjacent to [the child]."

The begetter explained to investigators that the 3-year-old had been "curious" astir the weapon earlier and had commented connected it.

After the shooting, the miss was taken to a kid advocacy halfway for a forensic interview, wherever she was "mostly funny successful playing but did accidental she received an wounded earlier successful the time and received a Band-Aid," according to the affidavit.

"She did not notation thing astir the incident," the affidavit explained.

As portion of the plea agreement, the authorities and the defence volition inquire the justice to enforce a midrange condemnation nether authorities guidelines and for the sentences to tally consecutively, meaning 1 aft another, according to section NBC and Telemundo affiliate KSNW.

Tejeda is slated to beryllium sentenced connected July 9.