Milwaukee Man Charged in Shooting Death Of Daughter After Teaching Kids Gun Safety

A Milwaukee father has been criminally charged with reckless homicide and a weapons charge in the shooting death of his 8-year-old daughter.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Michael Huddleston told detectives that on Jan. 15 he picked up his gun, checked to see if the safety was on, and found no bullets in it. Huddleston put the clip back in the gun and squeezed the trigger, shooting his daughter Tiana Huddelston in the chest.

According to The Associated Press and WITI, Huddleston told authorities detectives he fired his gun by accident as he tried to teach a group of kids, including his daughter, about gun safety.

The girl’s 18-year-old brother called 911 and reported that Huddleston was on his way to the hospital with his daughter. Shortly after arriving, doctors told him his daughter had died.

According to People, Huddleston said in the criminal complaint he “shouldn’t have tried to do no extra in front of the kids” and “I did it…I didn’t try to, big mistake,” WITI reported.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson urged city residents to choose peace over violence and put the guns down.

“The death of an 8-year old Milwaukee girl this afternoon is heartbreaking,” Johnson said in a statement. “Mistaken gunfire has extinguished another innocent life. I offer my condolences to her family.

“Please, put down the guns,” the mayor added. “If you have a gun in your home, secure it with a trigger lock or in a safe. Never, never handle a gun near children.”

Huddleston told police at the hospital the shooting was an accident, saying Tiana was “in the wrong place at the wrong time,” and added that he had been drinking at the time. Huddleston’s other son, a 13-year-old, told police his father drinks often and was drunk the day of the shooting.

People reported Huddleston admitted to drinking tequila the day of the shooting and gave a blood sample to police. The Milwaukee father has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Last year, marked the fourth straight year with an increase of gun deaths in America. According to The Trace, 20,726 people died from gun violence last year, which includes murders, accidents, and homicides. Additionally, there were 693 mass shootings, defined as four or more people being shot in the same incident.