Adaun DaQuantae Gaines was five years old when he died from a gunshot wound on January 19, 2023, in Jennings, Louisiana. He and four other young children were reportedly in the care of a babysitter, Desome Daniels, while some of the children’s mother, Kurstin Richard, was not present; Adaun’s own mother was reportedly unaware he had been left with Daniels.

Daniels allegedly waited about 15 minutes before asking a neighbor to call police and attempted to hide the gun and marijuana he had been using. The firearm was later identified as stolen and found in Richard’s bedroom. Both Daniels and Richard were arrested and booked into the Jeff Davis Parish jail on charges including negligent homicide and related firearm and child-cruelty counts; Richard was said to have been on probation for a prior felony possession of a stolen firearm at the time.

Family described Adaun as playful, loving to laugh and be silly, with cousins as his best friends and Spiderman as his hero. A celebration of his life was held and he was buried. If anyone knew Adaun or has information about what happened that day, please come forward to assist the investigation.