Trumbull coroner makes ruling in Warren Twp. shooting death


WARREN — The Trumbull County coroner has ruled the death of James E. Dotson Jr., 33, of Perkinswood Boulevard Southeast and Syme Street in Masury a homicide due to multiple gunshot wounds.

Dotson was was shot in the back of the J&L Lounge on Highland Avenue Southwest in Warren Township at 1:57 a.m. Monday and ran toward the front, where he was found on the parking lot, police said.

He died later at ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital.

There was a birthday party going on at the tavern at the time, but many people had fled the scene before officers arrived.

Dotson had spent most of his adult life in prison after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting a man in the eye in North End Park in Warren in 1999. He was 16 but tried as an adult.

He also spent five years in prison from 2010 to 2014 for killing a man outside of the Big Apple Convenient Mart.

His death is believed to be the county's second homicide this year.

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