In the dim early-morning hours of Feb. 3, a southeast Las Vegas apartment complex became the scene of a fatal confrontation that left a 3-year-old boy and his father dead, authorities say. Police report that 28-year-old Quinton Baker held his young son, Kentre Baker, in his arms and shot the child in the head before officers opened fire and killed Baker. Kentre was rushed from the 8400 block of South Maryland Parkway to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Neighbors and 911 callers described a chaotic scene as officers flooded the complex.
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, a 911 call came in around 1:19 a.m. reporting that a man had battered a woman and was trying to take a child from an apartment in the complex. Officers, including Jonathan Lo and Damon O’Donnell, were told the man had already fired at a vehicle in the parking lot. When police made contact, they say Baker walked out holding his son with a gun pointed at the boy’s chest. Investigators state that Baker and the officers exchanged gunfire, with Baker firing five rounds while officers also shot, and that both father and child were struck. The department’s preliminary findings say a close-contact wound to the child came from Baker’s weapon.
Kentre’s mother, Raneka Pate, flatly rejects that account. She told the Las Vegas Review‑Journal she watched the final moments from inside a patrol car, insisted that “he’s not in his right mind,” and claimed Baker was unarmed when he encountered officers. Pate says police stopped her from getting to her son and accuses the department of racing to get its version of events out first. The Review‑Journal also released 911 audio and neighbors’ accounts that track a fight moving across the complex before officers arrived.
Body-camera footage shows tense, chaotic encounter
Body-camera video made public by police shows Baker carrying Kentre while a firearm is visible, with officers repeatedly shouting at him to drop the gun, as reported by FOX5 Las Vegas. Assistant Sheriff Bryan Peterson, who briefed reporters, said officers fired to stop what they believed was an imminent threat while Baker simultaneously fired five shots. Peterson condemned the father’s actions as “pure evil.” The video highlights the split-second decisions officers made while medical crews waited just outside the complex.
Investigation and officer status
The LVMPD says the incident is under review by its Critical Incident Review Team, which will examine department policy, tactics and training, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Media coverage of the briefing identified the officers who fired as Jonathan Lo and Damon O’Donnell and reported that both are on standard administrative leave during simultaneous internal and criminal investigations, per People. Police also told reporters that if Baker had survived, he would have faced several felony counts, including murder and child abuse.
Family reaction and community resources
The killings have left relatives demanding answers and Kentre’s mother publicly blaming law enforcement. She told the Las Vegas Review‑Journal, “They are trying to play damage control, but they will pay for killing my son.” Family members have launched a fundraiser to cover funeral expenses and described Kentre as a bright toddler who loved sea animals, according to the Review‑Journal. Local outlets also noted that police plan a public briefing within 72 hours and pointed residents toward crisis resources, including SafeNest's 24/7 hotline.
