Inset: Michael Tejeda (Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office). Background: The street where Tejeda's 3-year-old daughter used his gun to shoot his 1-year-old daughter (Google Maps).
A Kansas father is facing substantial prison time for the death of his 1-year-old daughter, who was shot in the head by his 3-year-old daughter after he left his handgun out within reach of the older child.
Last week, Michael Tejeda, 26, pleaded guilty to one count each of murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, as well as two counts of aggravated child endangerment, according to Sedgwick County court records.
Under the terms of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped a more serious charge of first-degree murder in the commission of a felony.
The underlying incident occurred on Feb. 28, 2025, at the family's home on South Santa Fe Street in Wichita.
Tejeda himself called 911 that night to report the shooting, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Wichita-based ABC affiliate KAKE.
The defendant told the dispatcher his older daughter shot his younger daughter and can be heard asking the 3-year-old "why she did that."
Tejeda told police he fell asleep watching his children while their mother was out — and realized he left his handgun in a prop holster in the front of his waistband. He went on to tell investigators the fake holster did not have any retention and that a firearm could fall out if it turned upside down while in the holster. Tejeda added that he removed the gun from his waistband and put it on the mantel of the living room fireplace — which he estimated was about 4 feet tall.
"I knew better, should've put it somewhere else," the defendant told police after the shooting, according to the affidavit.
Tejeda said the shooting itself happened while he was in his bedroom changing clothes. At some point, he said he heard a loud bang, followed by his daughter running toward her room crying.
When the defendant asked the girl what the sound was, the 3-year-old said 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 reads. "Tejeda said he found his firearm lying on the couch next to [the child]."
The father explained to investigators that the 3-year-old had been "curious" about the gun before and had commented on it.
After the shooting, the girl was taken to a child advocacy center for a forensic interview, where she was "mostly interested in playing but did say she received an injury earlier in the day and received a Band-Aid," according to the affidavit.
"She did not mention anything about the incident," the affidavit explained.
As part of the plea agreement, the state and the defense will ask the judge to impose a midrange sentence under state guidelines and for the sentences to run consecutively, meaning one after another, according to local NBC and Telemundo affiliate KSNW.
Tejeda is slated to be sentenced on July 9.