Antonio Dotson was a 29-year-old Black man known for his positive and energetic personality. An artist who was self-employed, he was described by those who knew him as funny, talented, protective, and someone who was always smiling and laughing. He went by several nicknames, including "5 Polo" and "3 Tone."
On the evening of December 14, 2021, Dotson was in a driveway in Compton, California.
Just before 5:45 p.m., in the 2000 block of North Salinas Avenue near Enterprise Park, he was shot. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner, Dotson died at the scene from his gunshot wounds. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau began an investigation, initially with no description of a suspect.
Investigators soon discovered that Dotson's killing was part of a larger, gang-related shooting spree that took the lives of seven people in Compton, Inglewood, and South Los Angeles in late 2021 and early 2022. Following a joint investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Inglewood Police Department, a grand jury indicted seven men in August 2023 in connection with the deadly rampage.
Four of the men were charged in Antonio Dotson's murder: Cory Ervin, Kalil Santos, Semaj Brown, and Marvin Linnear. Ervin and Santos were ultimately convicted of first-degree murder for Dotson's death, with jurors finding true the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder while lying in wait. Semaj Brown was also convicted of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of lying in wait for Dotson’s killing. Marvin Linnear was convicted of second-degree murder for his role in the death.
In August 2025, Cory Ervin and Kalil Santos were sentenced for their roles in the shooting spree. Calling the crimes "sickening," the judge said the men had "earned each and every second" of their sentences. Both were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ervin received an additional consecutive sentence of more than 200 years to life, and Santos received an additional term of more than 100 years to life. The case is now considered solved.
