A $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the fatal shooting of a Philadelphia man visiting Compton was announced Wednesday by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff’s deputies responded just after 2 p.m. on March 5, 2021, to 609 N. Long Beach Blvd., between Rosecrans Avenue and Compton Boulevard, on reports of an assault with a deadly weapon and found 30-year-old Donte Lee Johnson on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper body, according to a department statement.
Paramedics were called and declared Johnson dead at the scene.
An investigation into the shooting revealed that Johnson was visiting from Philadelphia to attend a social gathering with friends when they encountered a suspect “who produced a handgun and began firing in their direction,” the sheriff’s department reported.
“After the shooting, the suspect entered the rear passenger seat of an awaiting … Chrysler PT Cruiser, which drove west on Elm Street from Long Beach Boulevard and out of view,” according to the sheriff’s department.
The suspect PT Cruiser was silver, missing two hubcaps, had oxidation on the roof and had a sticker on the lower left corner of the rear window, a sheriff’s deputy said. The department also reported investigators have said they believe the shooting was gang-related and Johnson was not the intended target.
A reward was approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call the Sheriff*s Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS, or use the website lacrimestoppers.org.
