LEON COUNTY, FL — A 33-year-old father is facing a culpable negligence charge after his 4-year-old son found a loaded handgun on a sofa and fatally shot himself last fall.
The offense and probable cause affidavit states that Leon County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a home on Augustus Oak Court on November 9th, 2025, where they found 4-year-old Kane Thomas dead from a gunshot wound.
Detectives recovered a loaded .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun on a sofa near the child's body. Ballistic testing matched the weapon to a projectile found in the outer wall of the home.
The child's father, Kadeem Thomas, told investigators he fell asleep on the couch after placing the firearm on the seat next to him. He awoke to a "pop" sound and found his son beside him.
Thomas told detectives he moved the gun to another sofa after the shooting. When asked why he kept the gun in the sofa, he told detectives, he "Used to be a knucklehead."
The report goes on to say Thomas acknowledged the danger of leaving the weapon unsecured, saying, "Having it out like that was not safe."
The sheriff's office charged Thomas with culpable negligence for leaving a loaded firearm within easy access of a minor.
Court records show Thomas was taken into custody on Monday, April 6th, and had his first court appearance on Tuesday, April 7th. His bond was set at $25,000.
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