The parents of two children who were shot and killed by a sibling this past spring are facing charges. The Ellsworth County Attorney filed charges following a death investigation conducted by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the KBI, 37-year-old Aaron French, and 28-year-old Makayla French of Brookville were issued a summons to appear in district court on July 28, on two counts of aggravated endangering a child, level 6 felonies, and two counts of aggravated endangering a child, level 9 felonies, connected to the deaths of their 8-year-old and 5-year-old children.

KBI agents determined that on Saturday, March 28th, a young child in the rural home located a loaded, unsecured shotgun and shot and killed two siblings.

At approximately 3:15 p.m., a caller from a residence located south of the intersection of Kansas Highway 141 and Ave. N, reported a shooting where two children were severely injured.

Deputies from the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office, troopers from the Kansas Highway Patrol, game wardens from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and EMS all responded to the home. They rendered aid to a 5-year-old female and an 8-year-old male who had suffered critical injuries.

Despite life-saving measures the five-year old child was pronounced deceased at the scene. The 8-year-old child was flown to a Wichita hospital, where he later died.