An Arizona man is facing charges for using an AR-style rifle to shoot and kill his 1-year-old daughter in front of her mother, authorities said.
Adam Montoya, 27, was indicted on two felony counts — second-degree murder and child abuse — in connection with the fatal shooting earlier this month, the Navajo County Attorney’s office announced Monday. The violence unfolded on Feb. 3 at a home in Show Low, a small mountainous community about 180 miles outside of Phoenix.
When first responders arrived on the scene, they discovered a 13-month-old girl suffering from a gunshot wound, prosecutors said. Emergency responders took the infant to Summit Regional Medical Center, “where life-saving measures were attempted” — but to no avail.
The baby was pronounced dead a short time later. Neither her nor her mother’s name has been released.
The Navajo County Attorney’s Office did not provide any additional details and the Show Low Police Department declined to comment further.
Montoya has since pleaded not guilty to both charges against him. He’s being held on a $1 million bond. A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for March 6.