MILWAUKEE — Charges have been filed against the mother and uncle of a 6-year-old boy who died after a shooting near 51st and Hope on Tuesday.
Quintell Collins and Daquela Collins are both facing charges in connection with the death of Daquell Collins, also known by his family as "King."
According to a criminal complaint, Quintell Collins, a convicted felon, is charged with:
- One count of neglecting a child resulting in death
- One count of second-degree reckless homicide
- Two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon
- One count of second-degree recklessly endangering safety
- Operating a motor vehicle to flee or elude an officer
- Obstructing an officer
Daquela Collins, King’s mother, is charged with neglecting a child resulting in death as a party to a crime and one count of straw purchasing a firearm. She appeared in court on Sunday.
According to the complaint, King’s grandmother called police after hearing a gunshot and finding his body in the living room just after 9:30 p.m. April 1. A firearm was found near the boy. King was pronounced dead at the scene.
Prosecutors said Quintell fled the home after the shooting and hid a gun in a nearby alley.
Surveillance video showed two men leaving the house. One of them, later identified as Quintell, was seen hiding an object under a garbage can, according to the criminal complaint.
A search revealed a loaded gun. A second gun was found inside the home’s living room, with a single spent casing in the chamber.
Detectives also found an unopened gun lock in a closet.
Surveillance footage later showed two people returning to the alley twice in a white Buick, apparently searching for the gun, that police had already recovered.
Police also cited an Instagram video Quintell sent to King’s mother earlier that day from his now-deactivated account. In the video, Quintell is seen rapping while holding two guns, with King sitting in the background.
Prosecutors said that despite seeing the video, Daquela, who was staying with her boyfriend, made no effort to return home. Instead, she told her brother to "put her gun down" and called her mother to pass along the same message.
In an interview, Daquela told police she kept a gun for self-defense because her brother was "into it with people." She said her 3-year-old daughter once asked for a gun after seeing Quintell with one.
Quintell was arrested on April 3 after leading police on a nearly 4-mile chase involving high speeds, multiple traffic violations, and him throwing money out of his car window to cheering bystanders, the complaint states. The chase ended when officers deployed stop sticks.
Watch: Family and friends remember life of 6-year-old fatally shot in Milwaukee
According to the complaint, Quintell admitted to his mother that he fled the home and hid a gun under the garbage can after King allegedly shot himself.
Initially, Quintell denied the claims, but police said surveillance video and family interviews contradicted his statements.
At the time of the shooting, Quintell was on probation and prohibited from possessing a firearm. He appeared in court Monday, where his cash bond was set at $100,000.
Defense attorney Christopher Ertl pointed out that the gun directly tied to King's death belongs to Daquela.
"A 6-year-old, getting a firearm and using it to end his own life that is horribly tragic. The question becomes who is at fault for that," defense attorney Christopher Ertl said in court.
Milwaukee County Court Commissioner Barry Phillips said he presumed that no one wanted a child to get ahold of a gun.
"Unfortunately, it’s an accident if we term it that that that could have and should have been prevented," Commissioner Phillips said.
Phillips admonished Quintell for recording a video of himself rapping and holding two guns with his young nephew close by before the child got ahold of a firearm, and for eluding police.
"Running through the streets of Milwaukee, putting people at risk, going against traffic, and throwing money out the windows. Well you gonna wish you had that money," Phillips stated.
Daquela’s cash bond was set at $10,000. Both are scheduled for a preliminary hearing April 15.
Friends and family gathered to honor the life of the 6-year-old on Friday. They've also set up this fundraiser to help pay for funeral expenses.
"It's a sad and unfortunate situation. I can only imagine that the family is experiencing a lot of hardship," said Tyler Odeneal, impact manager with the non-profit organization Safe and Sound.
The group works to connect the community with resources and prevent violence through programming and outreach.
TMJ4 asked Odeneal about his thoughts on the details that surfaced surrounding King's death.
"I think that Milwaukee is an interesting place. You know we have a culture where violence and these kinds of things are often normalized," Odeneal stated.
Odeneal, who grew up on the north side of Milwaukee, says what he calls generational hopelessness is at the core of the violence. He feels strongly about reaching people and empowering the community to push for better.
"It can be discouraging, but I think what's encouraging is seeing all of the people who we have helped and seeing them sort of continue to spread that message of help and support," Odeneal told TMJ4.
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