Father Fatally Shoots 13-Month-Old Daughter with AR-15 in Front of Mother

A 27-year-old father has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting his baby daughter in front of her mother, officials said.

Authorities say Adam Joseph Montoya used an AR-15 rifle to fatally wound the 13-month-old on Feb. 11. Show Low officers responded to reports of a shooting and the baby was rushed to Summit Regional Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead.

Officials have not disclosed what led to the father shooting his baby. Montoya has been indicted on charges of murder/domestic violence and child abuse/domestic violence. He remains in Navajo County Jail on a $1 million bond, with a pretrial conference and release hearing scheduled for March 6.

Both the Navajo County Attorney’s Office and Show Low police declined to comment further on the case.

The Navajo County Attorney’s Office said in a Facebook statement that all factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.

The tragedy occurred in Show Low, about 180 miles northeast of Phoenix. According to the city’s website, Show Low is the largest city in the White Mountains, with a population of about 12,000.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, support is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.