Charles McCormick Jr., the Jacksonville rapper who performed as Lil Buck, was 23 years old when he was shot and killed in a daylight ambush on January 15, 2020. Prosecutors said he was targeted over diss tracks aimed at a rival faction in Jacksonville’s drill rap scene. Five years later, in 2025, rapper Hakeem “Ksoo” Robinson and his cousin Leroy “ATK Scotty” Whitaker Jr. were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Two other men, including Robinson’s own father, pleaded guilty to related charges.
The Ambush at Dames Pointe Plaza
McCormick was killed around 11:00 a.m. in the parking lot of the Dames Pointe Plaza shopping center on Merrill Road, in Jacksonville’s Arlington neighborhood. He was shot in front of a Baptist Primary Care office. Investigators recovered more than seven shell casings at the scene, and he died where he fell.1Jacksonville.com. 1 Dead in Shooting Outside Jacksonville Shopping Center
An off-duty officer saw the shooting and followed the suspects’ gray car, which had been reported stolen. It crashed about a mile away on Townsend Boulevard, and two men fled on foot. Roughly 90 minutes later, they broke into a home on Townsend Road, held the female homeowner hostage, and changed clothes before being picked up in a red or orange Dodge.1Jacksonville.com. 1 Dead in Shooting Outside Jacksonville Shopping Center
Why He Was Killed
McCormick was affiliated with 6Block, one side of a long-running Jacksonville gang rivalry that investigators have linked to dozens of murders.2News4Jax. Shooting That Killed 7-Year-Old Breon Allen Connected to Warring Jacksonville Gangs ATK, 6 Block The rival faction, ATK, counted Hakeem “Ksoo” Robinson among its members. Prosecutors said the trigger for the killing was a diss track: McCormick had recorded songs disrespecting Willie Addison, Robinson’s half-brother, who had been killed in a 2019 drive-by shooting.3WOKV. Ksoo, ATK Scotty Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2020 Rap Feud Murder Cooperating witness Dominique Barner testified that Robinson picked McCormick out specifically because of those songs.4News4Jax. Testimony Continues in Murder Trial for Jacksonville Rapper Ksoo Affiliate
Friends described McCormick as an up-and-coming Jacksonville rapper and a “humble man.”5Jacksonville.com. Jacksonville Rap Singer Identified as Recent Shooting Victim
The Trial of Robinson and Whitaker
Robinson, 26, and Whitaker, 24, were charged with first-degree murder, with Whitaker also facing burglary with assault or battery for the home invasion that followed. The case took five years to reach trial. Jury selection began July 21, 2025, and the two men were tried concurrently before separate juries.6Action News Jax. Jacksonville Gang Members at Center of Deadly Drill Rap Beef Go to Trial
Prosecutors said Robinson was the shooter and that Whitaker rode with him “helping hunt McCormick down,” carrying a loaded gun and prepared to fire if needed.7Yahoo News. ATK Scotty Found Guilty in Jacksonville Murder Lead investigator Sgt. Christopher Smith built the case with surveillance video, dash cam footage, shell casings, weapons, cellphone records, witness testimony, and social media evidence. Rap lyrics and posts were central: a song called “Ksoo Homicide” and an Instagram post featuring McCormick’s photo captioned “bye bye” were introduced as evidence tying Robinson to the killing.8News4Jax. Jacksonville Rapper Hakeem Ksoo Robinson, Cousin to Be Sentenced in 2020 Murder Case
Defense attorney Christopher Decoste argued prosecutors were “misinterpreting music and turning performers into criminals,” pointing out that McCormick himself had rapped about the death of a rival.8News4Jax. Jacksonville Rapper Hakeem Ksoo Robinson, Cousin to Be Sentenced in 2020 Murder Case
On July 31, 2025, Whitaker’s jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and burglary with assault or battery.9WOKV. Jury Finds Leroy Whitaker Guilty of First-Degree Murder, Burglary3WOKV. Ksoo, ATK Scotty Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2020 Rap Feud Murder8News4Jax. Jacksonville Rapper Hakeem Ksoo Robinson, Cousin to Be Sentenced in 2020 Murder Case
The Father Who Testified Against His Son
One of the trial’s most striking moments came when Abdul Robinson Sr. took the stand for the prosecution against his own son. He testified that Hakeem Robinson was the person seen in surveillance footage killing McCormick, and he described his own role in helping co-defendants leave the area after the shooting. Robinson Sr. was cooperating under a plea deal that reduced his exposure from 60 years to 20. He told the court, “I just had to choose one of the less evil. It’s a tough spot for a daddy,” and said he wanted to be present for his three younger children.10News4Jax. Father of Jacksonville Rapper Testifies That His Son Is the Person Seen Killing 23-Year-Old in Ambush Murder11XXL Magazine. Ksoo Father Sentenced to Time Served
The Other Defendants
Two other men were prosecuted for their roles in the killing, and both took plea deals.
Dominique “Butta” Barner was the getaway driver. He cooperated fully with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, burglary with assault or battery, and fleeing an officer. On November 21, 2025, Judge Tatiana Salvador sentenced him to 25 years in prison followed by three years of probation, crediting him with nearly six years of time served and ordering that he be transferred out of state for safety reasons.12Action News Jax. Two Men Sentenced in 2020 Murder of Jacksonville Rapper
The same day, Abdul Robinson Sr. was sentenced to time served, 1,898 days, followed by two years of community control with electronic monitoring and three years of probation, after pleading guilty to accessory after the fact.13News4Jax. Father of Jacksonville Rapper Ksoo to Be Sentenced in Connection With Deadly 2020 Shooting
Hakeem Robinson’s brother, Abdul Robinson Jr., had originally been charged with first-degree murder and accessory after the fact. On October 14, 2025, he pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact, the murder charge was dropped, and he was sentenced to 12 years in prison.14Action News Jax. Diss Track Murder Lands Another Jacksonville Man in Prison
Robinson’s Second Murder Conviction
The McCormick case was not Robinson’s only homicide charge. He also faced prosecution for the February 25, 2019 killing of 16-year-old Adrian “Lil Bibby” Gainer Jr., who was shot after getting off a bus at the Hilltop Village apartments in Jacksonville. Investigators said Robinson chased Gainer and shot him in the back of the head and neck, and they recovered 45 shell casings at the scene. On February 23, 2026, Robinson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in that case and received an additional 10 years.15Jacksonville.com. Jacksonville Rapper Ksoo Sentenced for Second Murder16News4Jax. Hakeem Ksoo Robinson Pleads Guilty in 2019 Murder of Lil Bibby Months After Conviction in Lil Buck Slaying His appeal of the life sentence in the McCormick case remains pending.17News4Jax. Jacksonville Rapper Sentenced to Life for Murder Transferred to Okaloosa Correctional Institution