Officials say preliminary findings indicate two close-contact wounds to the child came from the father’s gun as he held the boy at gunpoint.
LAS VEGAS, NV — Newly released body-camera footage and a police briefing Thursday show that a father, not responding officers, fatally shot his 3-year-old son during a pre-dawn hostage confrontation Tuesday at an apartment complex in south Las Vegas, authorities said.
The case has moved swiftly from a chaotic 911 call to a detailed police account supported by video and early forensic findings. The child, identified by family as Kentre Baker, died at a hospital after the exchange of gunfire. The father, identified as Quinton Baker, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has placed two involved officers on routine administrative leave as its Critical Incident Review Team examines tactics, policy and training. Key determinations — including the source of a third wound to the child — remain under forensic review.
Police said the first 911 call came at 1:19 a.m. Tuesday from the boy’s mother reporting a domestic assault at Parkside Villas on South Maryland Parkway. On the way, officers were told the suspect had already fired into a vehicle in the parking lot. Body-camera video released Thursday shows officers meeting the mother, who warned the father had threatened to kill the child if police approached. Moments later, video shows Quinton Baker descending the stairs with the child in his left arm and a handgun pointed at the child’s chest. Officers issued commands to drop the weapon. According to Assistant Sheriff Bryan Peterson, officers opened fire when Baker refused and moved toward them; at the same time, Baker fired multiple rounds. “Because of the immediate threat to the child, officers discharged,” Peterson said.
Officials identified the officers as Jonathan Lo and Damon O’Donnell. Peterson said Lo fired three rounds with a rifle and O’Donnell fired two rounds with a 9 mm handgun. Investigators said Baker fired at least five times during the final exchange and seven times overall across the incident. Preliminary findings show the child suffered three gunshot wounds, including at least two close-contact wounds that investigators attribute to the father’s weapon. One round that struck an officer’s foot was described as a ricochet from Baker’s gun; the officer sustained a bruise and a cut. The Clark County coroner’s office and forensic specialists are still working to determine which firearm caused the child’s remaining leg wound. Police said one officer carried the boy hundreds of yards to waiting medics, but the child was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Authorities said the standoff followed a domestic violence call involving the child’s mother, Raneka Pate, who told officers the suspect had threatened to kill the boy and himself if police intervened. Baker, who had recently moved into the complex with the family, left the unit during the response and then returned armed, according to the police timeline. Investigators said there was no previous call history to that address and no prior department contact with Baker at that location. In a briefing, Peterson characterized the father’s actions as intentional and “pure evil,” while emphasizing that officers had milliseconds to act with a child at gunpoint. He added that the department’s wellness team responded for personnel on scene given the nature of the incident.
Records shared at the briefing outlined the charges Baker would have faced if he survived, including murder with a deadly weapon, kidnapping with a deadly weapon, child abuse, battery domestic violence by strangulation, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and battery with a deadly weapon on a protected person. The officer-involved shooting is the department’s third this year. The two officers — Lo, 39, with the department since 2019, and O’Donnell, 26, since 2024 — are assigned to the Community Safety Division, Enterprise Area Command. Both remain on paid administrative leave pending internal review and an outcome from the coroner and ballistics testing. No criminal charges against officers have been initiated at this stage.
Outside the apartment complex, residents described being awakened by sirens and shouted commands before hearing rapid gunfire. Pate, the boy’s mother, has publicly identified her son as Kentre Baker and said she wants full answers about the police response. In media interviews, she disputed parts of the department’s account while describing her son as “the light in my world.” Police said they are gathering all dispatch audio, body-worn video and civilian recordings from the complex to document the sequence of events. Advocates for domestic violence survivors said such encounters can escalate quickly when weapons are present and victims attempt to leave.
As of late Thursday, police said their timeline and video review support the conclusion that the father’s rounds killed the child. The coroner’s final report and full ballistics findings are still pending. The department said its Critical Incident Review Team will present the case to a civilian oversight panel after the investigative phase. A further update is expected next week.
Author note: Last updated February 6, 2026.