Dad shoots 13-month-old baby with AR-15 in front of her mom, Arizona officials say

A dad accused of fatally shooting his baby daughter has been charged with murder, Arizona officials said.

The 13-month-old’s dad, Adam Joseph Montoya, 27, is accused of fatally shooting the baby with an AR-15 rifle in front of her mom, prosecutors said in a Feb. 24 Facebook post.

On Feb. 11, Show Low officers responded to a report of a shooting, according to the post by the Navajo County Attorney’s Office.

Medical personnel took the baby to Summit Regional Medical Center, where she was eventually pronounced dead, officials said.

Officers didn’t say what led to the shooting.

Montoya was indicted on charges of murder/domestic violence and child abuse/domestic violence, officials said.

Montoya is being held on $1 million bond in Navajo County jail and is scheduled to appear in court on March 6 for his pretrial conference and release hearing, prosecutors said.

Show Low is about a 180-mile drive northeast of Phoenix.

This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Dad shoots 13-month-old baby with AR-15 in front of her mom, Arizona officials say."