A man and a 3-year-old boy died after a hostage situation turned into an exchange of gunfire early Tuesday in the south valley, according to Las Vegas police. The incident began at an apartment complex on South Maryland Parkway around 1:20 a.m.
Police say officers were dispatched after reports that a man battered a woman and tried to take a child from the complex. En route, officers were told the man had fired a handgun in the parking lot. The case is the department’s third officer-involved shooting of 2026 and remains under investigation. Officials said the boy’s mother later identified her son as Kentre Baker. The suspect died at the scene; no officers were hurt. Force investigators are reviewing body-worn camera footage, witness statements and physical evidence to determine the sequence of rounds and whether additional charges or policy actions are warranted.
When officers arrived, they contacted the woman, who told them the man had gone inside an apartment with the boy and was armed. As more units responded, the man came out holding the child and pointing a gun, police said. Officers issued commands. “The male exited the apartment with a firearm pointed at a small juvenile he was carrying,” Capt. Ryan Wiggins said during a briefing, adding that the man advanced despite orders to surrender. Officers then fired. Investigators say the suspect also fired and the child was struck. Medical crews treated the boy at the scene and took him to a hospital, where he died. Police closed South Maryland Parkway between Windmill Lane and Wigwam Avenue for hours while detectives processed the area.
Authorities have not released the suspect’s identity as of Thursday. Officials identified the officers as Jonathan Lo, 39, and Damon O’Donnell, 26, both assigned to the Community Safety Division at the Enterprise Area Command. Each was placed on paid administrative leave under department policy while the inquiry proceeds. The complex sits in the 8400 block of South Maryland Parkway, a corridor lined with apartments and small businesses. Investigators were collecting shell casings, mapping trajectories and reviewing nearby cameras to determine how many shots were fired and in what order. Police said no officers were injured, and no other residents were reported hit by gunfire.
Records show this is the third officer-involved shooting within Las Vegas police jurisdiction in 2026. In keeping with department practice, the Force Investigation Team is leading the review, with an internal affairs evaluation to follow. The coroner will formally identify the suspect and the boy and determine exact causes and manners of death. Police said the initial call was logged at about 1:19 a.m., with the first officers arriving minutes later. The investigation is expected to examine the original domestic violence report, the gunfire reported in the parking lot and the moments outside the apartment when officers confronted the suspect.
Police said the mother told reporters her child’s name was Kentre Baker. Neighbors described an overnight scene of sirens, flashing lights and officers moving people away from building entrances as the standoff unfolded. Crime-scene tape blocked driveways and side streets while detectives talked with residents who had been awake at that hour. “It was just chaos for a while,” one resident said near the tape line Wednesday morning, as tow trucks removed vehicles from within the perimeter. The apartment complex management did not immediately comment.
As of Friday morning, investigators had not announced the suspect’s identity or released a full count of shots fired. Police said additional updates are expected after evidence reviews and mandatory interviews are completed in the coming days. The officers remain on leave pending the findings and any prosecutorial review. The department said more information will be provided when the coroner finalizes identifications and when body-camera clips are cleared for public release.
Author note: Last updated February 6, 2026.