MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The mother of a wanted man police say shot a gun inside a community center full of children is speaking out.
Police are hunting for Marcus Dotson, and his mother told WREG she has been in contact with him.
Police said Dotson and a juvenile interrupted a youth basketball tournament at Riverview Community Center by pointing a gun at kids and firing a shot into the ceiling.
They do have the juvenile in custody.
Dotson is wanted on 51 counts of aggravated assault and other charges.
Virginia Huggins said she did not believe it when she heard her son, Marcus Dotson, was accused of putting children’s lives at risk inside the Riverview Community Center.
“Marcus is not that type of guy that would hurt children,” she said. “Nope. He loves children.”
Police released pictures, stills from surveillance video inside the center.
They said Dotson, a known member of the Gangster Disciples, pointed a gun at kids and fired a shot into the ceiling in this basketball court.
“Marcus must not have been in his right mind,” Huggins told WREG.
Dotson has a violent criminal record which includes charges for domestic violence last year and police saying he shot up a house and robbed people in 2014.
At the Riverview Community Center on Wednesday, it was almost as if nothing had happened.
The basketball court was was once again full of kids shooting hoops.
But lifelong Riverview resident Donnell Perroy said, although he used to come to the community center, he will not be going back and would not feel safe sending kids there either.
“A bullet doesn’t have eyes. It can go up, come back down and hit whoever is in there.”
Huggins said she has been in contact with her son.
“I got a couple of phone calls from him. He says he might turn himself in.”
If you have seen Dotson, police ask you to call Crime Stoppers at (901) 528-CASH.
