The Homicide Report

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The Homicide Report

Died on
Jan. 24, 2010

Harvard Park
1643 W. 60th Place
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Cause: Gunshot
Race/Ethnicity: Black
Agency: LAPD

Dontae Lamont Cotton, 28

Jan. 25, 2010, 9:58 a.m.

Dontae Cotton, a 28-year-old black man, was shot and killed Saturday, Jan. 24, in the 1600 block of West 60th Place in Harvard Park, authorities said.

Cotton was shot shortly after midnight outside his home in the Harvard Park neighborhood of South L.A. Police said a car stopped in the street and a gunman got out and confronted Cotton as he was walking from his parked car to his home.

Detectives believe the shooting was gang-related, said April Harding, an LAPD spokeswoman. Cotton was pronounced dead at 12:40 a.m., according to coroner's records.

-- Jack Leonard

Dispatch: 'I held his head and said a prayer with him, asking God to save him'

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28 reader comments

"-A", you are exactly right. People talk about things they have no business talking about every day! I'm getting sick of it. A couple of days ago, I heard some people talking about the war in Afghanistan. I look over and they're like 50 years old. No way they were ever in Afghanistan. They need to shut their mouths. Today on the train, I saw 2 guys talking about the San Francisco 49er's. I looked over. No way they played for the 49er's! They need to STFU!!! They weren't no football players. Why they talking about that? The 49er's don't have anything to do with them - don't even know they exist! Last night I'm watching Tv and some guys talking Obama this and Obama that and Romney said this and Romney said that...I'm thinking, WTF!!! You don't know Obama, you don't know Romney - why you talking about them? Happens every day. I. Just. Try. To. Keep. Calm. People sticking their noses in everyone else's business. What's this world coming to?

— Richie Sept. 17, 2012 at 7:10 p.m.

My heart goes out to Dontae Cotton and his family. We have all made big mistakes by ever taking part in this grave activity. I realized I had enough of gangs in 1993, when I looked back at my six grade picture and almost everyone male on the picture was either dead, in jail or paralyzed. I know first hand that innocent people can get killed but all of my friends that got killed were bangers for sure. Usually the innocent ones went in the house when the street lights came on. I do recall one innocent neighborhood friend getting killed but both of his brothers were affiliated. More people need to speak out against gangs even the church instead of just collecting our money on sunday. Fathers need to take a stand and raise their sons and daugthers in a strong respectable way. Education is the key not fast money. For those who choose to coment with a wise crack about Dontae Cotton, please show his family some respect. If his family say he didn't bang, don't be ignorant and keep insisting he did if you didn't know him. I didn't know him but he could have been my child.

— FORMER BANGER Feb. 13, 2010 at 9:02 p.m.

I have worked in Exposition Park for the last 20-years and I will tell you this. All these kids getting killed with the exception of a stray bullet here and there are related to gangs. It does a disservice to the news and the general perception to say he or she was an innocent bystander. Nearly all these kids either claim affiliation or are affiliated. Offend me if you like. Deny it if you like. I live this truth and will continue till I retire I guess. I bet he dressed like a gang banger and that is good enough to make you a target. There is a war going on in the inner city between minority groups as well as blacks. The solution is not in cleaning the neighborhood but in offering youth centers, community centers, and mentors for the youngsters who start this nonsense from the time they are in middle school.

— Mr. G. Feb. 12, 2010 at 2:56 p.m.

Syscom3, it is apparent that you either do not live in the inner city, or you are ignorant to how these crimes really play out there.

I know that some older adults believe that these types of crimes only happen to gang members and those affiliated with gangs, but this is far from the truth.

I no longer live in the inner city, but it is where I grew up and went to school, including my secondary school years. During this time, my best friend was gunned down as he walked from basketball practice. Was he a gang member or affiliated? No. He played basketball.

It doesn't matter if you're in a gang or not. The majority of the time these murderers shout out their "hood" and/or ask their victims where they're "from," only to not even wait for an answer. It's literally a matter of walking or driving in your or someone else's neighborhood, and some scum bag thinking that your life is worth nothing just because he doesn't feel that his is.

syscom3, it is irresponsible of you to try to embed in people's heads the nonsense that claims that only gang members. It gives the false impression that this doesn't happen to our young men on the honor roll, walking their little sister home, or leaving basketball practice. It happens to the best of us!

— Truthbtold Feb. 10, 2010 at 12:13 a.m.

"Imthe 1youbetterwatch," why do you think I am a troll? Ive been contributing to this blog for a couple of years now.

Do I have an answer for everything? Nope. Far from it. Do I propose solutions? Yup. And I vote and contact my elected representatives on a regular basis. Do you?

Why do I suspect that a good many of these homicides in which someone was gunned down for no reason was actually a "hit" or gang related in some way? You read this blog long enough and eventually someone does dig up the truth about the deceased; in that they had a private life that none of their family knew about. Or, their family was in denial and the deceased was a gangster wannabe or was an actual gangster.

As for "strutting my stuff on the street"? Sorry. Decades ago when I became a man, I put childish stuff like that aside. Intelligent people have better things to do.

— syscom3 Feb. 9, 2010 at 3:58 p.m.