Chandler man charged in deadly shooting of 3-year-old daughter

Police have booked a Chandler father on manslaughter charges in connection with the shooting death of his 3-year-old daughter.

Sgt. Daniel Mejia said evidence revealed that the deadly gunshot wound was not caused by the toddler as originally reported, but by the girl's father, 33-year-old Eric Sands.

Authorities had previously said that Sands gave two different versions of what happened when interviewed by police about the June 29 shooting.

Court documents showed Sands originally told police he was cleaning a shotgun in a bedroom when his daughter bumped into him.

But Sands later said he wasn't cleaning the shotgun and had placed it on a bed when it discharged.

Mejia on Wednesday said physical evidence indicates Sands' reckless mishandling of the gun was to blame for the shooting.

Sands was booked into jail on Tuesday.