Man accused of killing Joshua Flinn pleads guilty
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Raymond Dotson Jr pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement.
The court conditionally accepted his plea.
Dotson will be sentenced on December 4, 2020.
The shooting happened at the Phillips 66 at the corner of LaSalle and Lafayette Boulevard in South Bend on October 19, 2019 just before 2 a.m.
When St. Joseph County Police arrived to the scene, they located Flinn deceased.
Officers reviewed surveillance video from the store and the shooter and his companion were visible in the video, reports said.
Officers released surveillance photos to the media.
Dotson’s companion came forward and talked to police.
Dotson's friend identified Dotson as the shooter, which matched information received from other sources, according to the probable cause affidavit.
The friend told police he and Dotson had gone to a club in Elkhart, then returned to South Bend.
When they went into the gas station, the friend went to buy some cigars when he heard Dotson and a stranger, later identified as Flinn, get into a verbal altercation, reports said.
As the friend looked to Dotson, he saw both Dotson and Flinn reaching for their waists, reports said.
The friend convinced Dotson to let it go and leave the store.
Dotson exited the store and waited for Flinn. When Flinn exited the store, Dotson fired several shots at him, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Flinn fell to the ground and Dotson got into his car and drove away, reports said.
While giving Flinn CPR, officers removed a brown and black "air soft" toy gun from Flinn's pants, according to the probable cause affidavit.