A 21-year-old Jacksonville man has pleaded guilty to the March 22 shooting death of a toddler being held in his girlfriend’s arms, the boy’s mother.
The State Attorney’s Office said Steven Randall Dodson Jr. pleaded guilty Thursday, June 25, to first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and aggravated child abuse in 2-year-old A’mahri Robinson’s death. The plea came shortly after a Duval County grand jury indicted him on the charges, which could have led prosecutors to seek the death penalty.
With the plea, Judge Jonathan Sacks sentenced Dodson to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
The shooting happened March 22 during a domestic argument at the Valencia Way apartments, formerly known as Eureka Garden, on Labelle Street. Dodson’s girlfriend said they had been arguing on the front porch and then he followed her inside to a bedroom where A’mahri and other children were watching TV and retrieved a gun. He fired toward her while clutching the child, according to arrest documents.
Security video from the complex showed Dodson leave the apartment and throw a gun into a dumpster before running away. Another witness heard Dodson and the victim argue before she heard a gunshot and the victim yell about her child being shot. A child witness also provided information to investigators, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
Within hours after issuing an alert for Dodson, the Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Marshals Service took him into custody at another apartment complex Vista Landing apartments, formerly Cleveland Arms, on Cleveland Road.
Dodson had recently been released from prison in November 2025 after serving a 20-month sentence for unlicensed carrying a concealed firearm, resisting police without violence and loitering or prowling. Court records show he also had a domestic battery conviction in 2023.
“A’mahri was the happiest baby — playful, lovable, and always bringing joy to everyone around him,” according to a family GoFundMe. “His smile could light up a room, and his presence made every day brighter for our family. Losing him so suddenly has left us in shock and deep sadness. This have been an incredibly difficult time for our family, and we are reaching out for support as we navigate this unimaginable loss. He leaves one older sister and brother who adores him as well as his mother and father who are struggling to cope with this heartbreaking reality.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Plea reached in 2-year-old’s shooting death at Jacksonville apartments
Reporting by Scott Butler, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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By Scott Butler, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
