Tennessee man Timothy Batts accused of fatally shooting daughter, 11, on first day of middle school

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. — A Middle Tennessee father has been charged in the death of his 11-year-old daughter.

According to WHBQ-TV in Memphis, Timothy Batts, 29, of Hendersonville was charged with reckless homicide, tampering with evidence and lying to police in the fatal shooting of his daughter, Timea. Batts, a convicted felon, also was charged with illegally possessing a firearm, the Tennessean reports. He reportedly is being held at the Sumner County Jail on $1 million bond.

Batts originally told officers that his daughter came home Monday after her first day at Knox Doss Middle School at Drakes Creek and said she had been shot, police said. However, investigators determined that the shooting happened inside the house and the gun was missing.

Timea Batts was shot dead after coming home from her first day of 6th grade. Her dad charged oveight

According to the Tennessean, Batts told officers that he was asleep Monday afteoon when a sound woke him up. He grabbed his gun and fired at Timea after she startled him, accidentally shooting her, he reportedly told police. She died while being treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

“The defendant came to the police department later and stated he wanted to tell the truth about what happened, and admitted the story he previously told was not the truth,” the arrest affidavit said, according to the Tennessean. “The defendant removed the gun from the scene and stated the gun was now in Nashville.”

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