In the summer of 2015, a tragedy unfolded in Portsmouth, Virginia, that cut short the life of 18-month-old Dion Lofton Jr. On the evening of June 27th, a shooting occurred on Maple Avenue in the Prentis Park neighborhood. When police arrived, they found the young male child with a gunshot wound to his head. An adult woman was also discovered at the scene, suffering from a gunshot wound to her lower back. Both victims were transported to a local hospital for medical attention.
While the woman was expected to survive her serious injuries, Dion Lofton Jr. succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led to the identification and arrest of three individuals. Anthony D. Holley, Jerry Atkinson Jr., and Marquis Hinton were taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting. All three men faced a litany of serious charges, including first-degree murder, aggravated malicious wounding, attempted robbery, and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The motive for the violent encounter was believed to be an attempted robbery that took a devastating turn.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, the cases against the three suspects moved through the court system. In May 2017, a jury found Jerry Atkinson Jr. not guilty of first-degree murder and other related charges. During his trial, Atkinson testified that he was present at the scene but remained on the porch while Holley and Hinton went inside the house where the shooting occurred. He claimed he fled when he heard gunshots. In separate proceedings, both Anthony Holley and Marquis Hinton entered guilty pleas to felony charges related to the death of the young child.
