Former College Football Player and His 3-Year-Old Son Die in Las Vegas Police Shooting as New Evidence Raises Questions

A former college football player and his three-year-old son were killed during a police shooting in Las Vegas in February 2026. Months later, newly presented forensic findings have raised questions about who fired the shots that killed the child.

Quinton Baker, 28, died on February 3 after officers responded to a reported domestic disturbance at an apartment complex near South Maryland Parkway. His son, Kentre, was also fatally wounded during the confrontation.

According to the police account, Baker had allegedly assaulted his girlfriend, Raneka Pate, and another woman before taking the toddler from the apartment. Officers said he later emerged carrying the child while pointing a handgun toward him.

Body-camera footage presented during the investigation shows officers repeatedly ordering Baker to stop and drop his weapon. Authorities said Baker continued moving toward them and fired his gun during the confrontation. Officers then opened fire, killing him.

Kentre was rushed to hospital but later died. An autopsy found that the child had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

The case took a significant turn during a public review in late October 2026. A Las Vegas police investigator testified that forensic evidence could not establish whether the fatal shots that struck Kentre came from his father’s gun or from police weapons.

That finding has raised questions about the department’s initial explanation of the child’s death. Police had previously said Baker shot his son. The investigator’s testimony, however, indicated that the available evidence could not conclusively identify the source of the fatal bullets.

Pate has disputed the police account and said she witnessed the final moments from inside a patrol vehicle. She has questioned the circumstances of the shooting and is considering legal action against the department.

Baker had previously been a promising college football running back. He played for Western Kentucky University and Portland State University and earned a place on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team in 2016.

In a tribute to her son, Pate described Kentre as a joyful, curious child who loved marine life and could spend hours naming different sea creatures.

The public review has renewed scrutiny of the February shooting, but it has not resolved the central question surrounding the toddler’s death. The family continues to seek answers about what happened during the final moments of the confrontation.

Source: dailymail