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KBI announces charges in Brookville-area shooting deaths of two children

Charges have been filed against Aaron French, 37, and Makayla French, 28, in connection with the deaths of a 5-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy who were shot earlier this year with a reportedly unsecured shotgun. KMBC 9 reported on the KBI announcement.

A dusk neighborhood scene suggesting an investigation near a home with emergency vehicles in the distance

According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Ellsworth County Attorney filed multiple counts of aggravated child endangerment against the parents. The shooting occurred on March 28, 2026, when multiple law enforcement agencies and emergency crews responded to a home in the Brookville, Kansas, area after reports of a shooting that seriously injured children.

The KBI says the 5-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene. The 8-year-old boy was flown to a hospital in critical condition and died the following week.

The KBI further states that a young child picked up a shotgun that was reportedly loaded and unsecured, and fired, shooting both siblings. The KBI says no additional information will be released regarding the case.