Kansas mom sentenced to life in prison after her 2-year-old son fatally shot her 4-year-old daughter

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas mother whose 2-year-old son fatally shot his 4-year-old sister has been sentenced to life in prison. Twenty-four-year-old Mariann Belair won’t be eligible for parole until she’s served 25 years under the sentence imposed Tuesday. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that jurors found her guilty in May of first-degree murder in the commission of a felony and aggravated child endangerment. Belair testified at her trial that she removed a loaded handgun from her diaper bag in October and placed it on the couch. She said the 4-year-old then “distracted” her by asking her to shoot a cellphone photo of them together. Prosecutors said the gun sat on the couch about 12 minutes before the 2-year-old shot his sister.