On December 18, 2023, 25-year-old Craig Antonia Baker Jr. of Tallahassee, Florida, was fatally shot at Camden Place Apartments on North Mission Road. The suspect, 21-year-old Za'mond Durant, forcibly entered the apartment of a former female acquaintance, discharged a firearm toward a bedroom, and struck Baker, who was visiting the acquaintance. Durant then entered the bedroom and shot Baker again at close range, resulting in his death.
Following the incident, Durant turned himself in to the Tallahassee Police Department on December 20 and was charged with homicide.
Born on October 21, 1998, in Leon County, Florida, to Lashonno M. Carter and Craig Antonia Baker Sr., Craig accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized in Jacksonville, Florida. He was employed in various positions over the years, most recently at Hardee’s of Quincy. Craig was preceded in death by his grandfather, John Willis. He is survived by his parents; brothers Letravius Rumph, Jadarius Brown, and Demarion Dudley; sisters Terriya Williams and Craniyah Baker; grandparents Betty Carter, Eddie Carter (Patsy), and Lois Baker; great-grandmother Edwina Bernice Collins; uncles Eric Carter, Isreal Carter, Raphael Carter, Taurus Baker, and Jarvis Baker; great-uncles Danny Baker, Joseph Baker, Charles Baker, Marcello Tyson, and Willie Collins Jr.; godmother Tamika Craig (Marco); great-aunts Claretha Neal (Jimmy), Ellen Nelson, and Claretha Jones; special cousins and close friends Jabari Harris and Taiyra Baker; best friend Lawrence Andrews; and numerous beloved cousins, family members, and friends.
Visitation services were held on December 29, 2023, at Reed & Hall Mortuary in Quincy, Florida. The funeral service took place on December 30, 2023, at Mt. Pilgrim Primitive Baptist Church in Quincy. Craig's untimely death was a profound loss to his family, friends, and the community, who remember him for his faith, dedication to his work, and the love he shared with those around him.
