Missouri man charged with killing 1-year-old girl with shot to head

A southeast Missouri man has been charged with murder after he allegedly shot and killed a 1-year-old girl during an argument he had with his sister, who was babysitting the child.

Prosecutors in Cape Girardeau, Mo., County charged Isaac D. Egbuka this week with second-degree murder, first-degree domestic assault and two counts of armed criminal action.

Cape Girardeau police said in a Facebook post that the shooting happened at 2:30 a.m. Monday at a home where Egbuka, 29, was living with his sister.

According to the police department's statement, officers went to 50 Green Acres Drive after receiving a report that a child had been shot. When officers arrived, they found a 1-year-old girl with a gunshot wound to the head. The child was shot during a disturbance between the suspect, later identified as Egbuka, and his sister, who was babysitting the girl for a friend.

The Southeast Missourian reported that the child was identified as Jamariel Lanique Tanksley.

Citing court records, KFVS reported the woman told police Egbuka was intoxicated when they got into an argument while she was holding the girl.

The woman told officers she wasn't aware her brother had a gun until she heard a gunshot and realized the child was injured. She said she believed her brother was trying to shoot her.

The child was taken to a hospital and died shortly after, police said.

Later that day, charges were filed against Egbuka, who is being held in the Cape Girardeau County Jail with bond set at $750,000.

An arraignment is scheduled March 19.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This story was originally published March 14, 2018 at 1:47 PM with the headline "Missouri man charged with killing 1-year-old girl with shot to head."