Quinton Baker death: Las Vegas police unable to determine who killed 3-year-old son, late football player or officer

Las Vegas police have revealed new details about the fatal shooting of former college football player Quinton Baker. Investigators said they could not determine whether Baker or an officer fired the bullet that killed his three-year-old son, Kentre, during the February hostage standoff.

Former college football player Quinton Baker and his three-year-old son Kentre were killed after Baker allegedly held the child at gunpoint during a February standoff. (X | @monteroverdi)The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) released body-camera footage and investigative findings this week detailing the confrontation that ended with Baker, 28, and his son dead outside an apartment complex.

Authorities said the evidence was insufficient to conclusively identify who fired the fatal shot that struck the child. Police said officers responded to a domestic violence call at Baker’s Las Vegas apartment after an argument with his girlfriend, Raneka Pate.

According to investigators, Baker had told Pate he was gay shortly before the dispute escalated into violence. Authorities alleged Baker assaulted Pate and another woman before leaving the apartment with their son while armed.

Body-camera footage shows Baker walking toward officers while holding Kentre in one arm and pointing a handgun at the child’s chest. Officers repeatedly ordered him to stop and drop the weapon. Baker instead continued advancing and was heard saying, “I’mma shoot myself,” according to the released footage.

Police opened fire after Baker continued approaching officers with the child. Investigators said Baker also fired four rounds during the exchange before collapsing. Earlier police statements indicated Baker had fatally shot his son.

However, officials now say forensic evidence could not establish whether the fatal bullet was fired by Baker or by police during the gunfire. Pate previously told ABC News 4 she called police because of a domestic dispute that “escalated and turned into what seemed like a hostage situation.” She has publicly sought answers about her son’s death.

Following the tragedy, Pate created a GoFundMe page remembering Kentre as a bright and curious child who loved marine life and enjoyed identifying sea creatures. She described him as “pure sunshine in human form” with an infectious smile and playful personality.

Before the fatal incident, Baker was regarded as a promising football talent from Kentucky. He began his college career at Western Kentucky University, where he earned Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors. Recruiting service 247Sports ranked him a three-star prospect and among the nation’s top all-purpose running backs before college.

He later transferred to Portland State University, where he played during his junior season. According to Daily Mail, Baker faced legal issues during his college years, including charges related to marijuana possession, careless driving and driving under the influence in 2016.

Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues.

Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats.

Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments.

She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More