Kansas dad admits leaving gun in reach before toddler shot baby sister

A Kansas father admitted he left a handgun within reach of his young daughters before his 3-year-old child fatally shot her 1-year-old sister inside the family’s Wichita home, according to court records and a police affidavit.

Michael Tejeda, 26, pleaded guilty last week to second-degree murder, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and two counts of aggravated child endangerment in connection with the February 2025 shooting, according to Sedgwick County court records.

As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped a more serious charge of first-degree murder committed during the commission of a felony.

The shooting happened Feb. 28 at the family’s home in Wichita. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Wichita-based ABC affiliate KAKE, Tejeda called 911 after the shooting and told dispatchers his older daughter had shot his younger daughter.

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Authorities said Tejeda later admitted he had fallen asleep while watching the children while their mother was away from the home. Investigators said he told police he had been carrying a handgun in a prop holster that did not properly secure the firearm.

Tejeda told investigators he eventually removed the handgun and placed it on the mantel above the living room fireplace before going into a bedroom to change clothes, according to the affidavit.

“I knew better, should’ve put it somewhere else,” Tejeda told investigators, according to court documents.

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Moments later, Tejeda told police he heard a loud bang and saw his 3-year-old daughter crying before discovering the 1-year-old suffering from a gunshot wound to the head on a couch in the living room.

“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 states. “Tejeda said he found his firearm lying on the couch next to [the child].”

Investigators said Tejeda acknowledged his older daughter had previously shown curiosity about the firearm before the shooting.

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The surviving child was later taken to a child advocacy center for a forensic interview, according to the affidavit. Authorities said the girl did not discuss the shooting during the interview.

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected to recommend a midrange sentence under Kansas guidelines, with the sentences running consecutively, according to local NBC affiliate KSNW.

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Tejeda is scheduled to be sentenced July 9.

Representatives for both the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and Wichita Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.