In the late hours of a Friday night in Hagerstown, Maryland, a verbal disagreement escalated into a fatal encounter for 44-year-old Taron Shawnta Trice. On August 5, 2022, Trice, a male resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, was found in the parking lot of the Stone Ridge Apartments and Townhomes suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The investigation into his death would quickly point to a 16-year-old from Hagerstown as the perpetrator.
Earlier that evening, Trice and the teenager, Ty
Shan Jerome Dotson, had been involved in a verbal altercation. Authorities later determined that Dotson located Trice in the apartment complex parking lot, where the shooting occurred. It was noted by investigators that neither Trice nor Dotson resided at the Stone Ridge Apartments and Townhomes, suggesting the location was simply the unfortunate backdrop for the tragic conclusion of their dispute.
In the days following the shooting, the Hagerstown Police Department identified Dotson as the suspect and issued an arrest warrant. He was to be charged as an adult with a string of serious offenses, including first and second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, and handgun violations. The search for Dotson was brief, as he turned himself in to the Hagerstown Police Department on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. Following his surrender, he was taken to the Washington County Detention Center.
