TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A Tallahassee mother is speaking out after her 3-year-old son died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in November, leading to charges against the father in connection to his death.
Sakari Baker said she wakes up missing her son Kane Thomas every day, who died just a month before his fourth birthday.
“He was smart and very energetic. He loved dinosaurs, and pizza was his favorite food,” she said. “He was actually getting to the point where he liked books.”
Sakari Baker said she wakes up missing her son Kane Thomas every day, who died just a month before his fourth birthday.(Sakari Baker)
On November 9, Leon County deputies sadly discovered the young child dead at the home of his father, Kadeem Thomas, located on Augustus Oak Court.
Thomas told police he fell asleep with a gun tucked into the couch, next to him on the sofa. Thomas said he then woke up to a pop sound and felt the toddler next to him, the court papers revealed.
The 33-year-old father was arrested and charged with culpable negligence earlier this week, arrest documents revealed. Since then, Thomas was released on bond.
Thomas is charged with culpable negligence after his son died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to arrest papers.(Leon County Jail)
Baker said before her son’s passing, she dropped him off with his father for the week because she had to travel for work. But her world changed forever once she returned.
“I believe in a mother’s intuition, but I don’t think I truly experienced it until that morning. All that morning, I just felt that something wasn’t right,” she said. “For us to be where we are now, I’m just really disappointed. It took a while for it to register that it was even real and I still have moments that it doesn’t feel real.”
While Baker waits for the justice system, she’s relying on family, friends and her faith to keep her going.
“Its been nobody but God,” she said. “I want all parties to be held accountable. Lock your guns up, if there’s anybody that’s questionable around your kids, just protect your children at all costs cause this could’ve all been avoidable.”
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