Wichita 3-year-old shot little sister in head with gun. Dad’s guilty of murder
A Wichita father whose 3-year-old shot his 1-year-old daughter in the forehead with a gun he left out has pleaded guilty in connection with her death, court records show.
Michael Tejeda, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated child endangerment and one count of criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon last week. He is scheduled for sentencing on July 9.
Myla Tejeda died on Feb. 28, 2025, after she was fatally shot by her 3-year-old sister with a gun their father left unattended on a fireplace at their home in the 2200 block of South Santa Fe. Tejeda told police he removed the gun from a holster on his waistband while he was watching TV and napping with the older girl in the living room, an affidavit says.
The 3-year-old got ahold of the gun and fired at her younger sister while Tejeda was changing his pants in another room around 8:30 p.m. Myla, who was 21 months old, was pronounced dead at a Wichita hospital about an hour later.
Tejeda told police he knew better than to leave the gun out; his 3-year-old knew he carried a firearm and had been curious about it in the past, the affidavit says he told police.
The shooting happened while Tejeda was alone at home watching the girls as their mother was getting tattoos at a friend’s apartment.
His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 3:14 PM.
