Uncle arrested in 12-year-old girl’s accidental shooting at Wichita apartment: police

Wichita police say a 12-year-old girl was accidentally shot Monday evening. An uncle who was babysitting her and other children has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery, criminal use of weapons and outstanding warrants, police said.

Christian Michael Lehl of Wichita, 23, is being held in the Sedgwick County Jail and could face formal criminal charges as early as Tuesday afternoon, according to online records and police.

The shooting was reported to Sedgwick County dispatchers at around 8 p.m. at Magnolia Woods Apartments, near 13th and West streets.

Officer Charley Davidson told The Eagle that three adults were handling a gun when it discharged, hitting the 12-year-old girl in an arm and the torso area. She was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, authorities said.

A police supervisor at the scene said the child was hit by a single gunshot. She was in critical but stable condition on Monday evening.

Davidson on Tuesday confirmed that Lehl is the girl’s uncle. He said Lehl was at the apartment complex watching two nieces and a nephew, ages 10 to 13, when he started “handling and showing” a handgun to an 18-year-old friend who was also there.

The gun went off and hit the girl, who was in a neighboring room, Davidson said.

He said the police investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Findings will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, which will decide what formal charges Lehl might face.

Police advise gun owners to keep their weapons secure. Around 1,300 children die annually in the U.S. from preventable shootings, Davidson said Tuesday, citing www.nationwidechildrens.org.

“The most important thing when we talk about gun ownership is safety,” said the police supervisor who was at the shooting scene Monday.

Police urge gun owners to always store guns unloaded with safety mechanisms engaged and in safes or locked boxes, store ammunition in another secure place and to talk to children about gun safety.

Police say if you find a gun, you should:

• Leave it alone and tell an adult, if you are a child
• Never assume that the gun is unloaded or point it at anyone
• Ask for information about proper gun safety from someone you trust

This story was originally published June 7, 2021 at 9:44 PM.