{"id":99429,"date":"2025-07-28T13:11:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T13:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/99429\/"},"modified":"2025-07-28T13:11:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T13:11:10","slug":"testimony-resumes-in-murder-trial-of-jacksonville-rapper-ksoo-affiliate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/99429\/","title":{"rendered":"Testimony resumes in murder trial of Jacksonville rapper Ksoo, affiliate"},"content":{"rendered":"

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.<\/strong> \u2013 Testimony resumed Monday in a highly anticipated Jacksonville murder trial, a day after the jury heard from three key witnesses called by prosecutors.<\/p>\n

Jacksonville rapper Hakeem Robinson<\/a>, 26, better known by his stage name \u201cKsoo,\u201d and co-defendant Leroy Whitaker, 24, his cousin, are standing trial in a case that\u2019s drawn national attention \u2014 and stirred deep tensions in the city\u2019s rap and gang communities.<\/p>\n

Both face murder and gun charges in the 2020 shooting death of 23-year-old Charles \u201cLil Buck\u201d McCormick Jr<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jacksonville rapper Hakeem Robinson, 26, better known by his stage name \u201cKsoo,\u201d and co-defendant Leroy Whitaker, 24, appear in court for opening statements in their murder trials. (Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.)Getaway driver testifies<\/b><\/p>\n

The star witness for the prosecution, Dominique \u201cButta\u201d Barner, took the stand Friday afternoon. <\/p>\n

Barner, 31, was offered a plea deal after admitting to driving the car on the day McCormick was killed. Barner testified that Robinson wanted to kill McCormick, known as rapper \u201cBuck,\u201d for making a diss song against, Willie Addison, the step son of Hakeem Robinson\u2019s father, who was killed in a drive-by shooting.<\/p>\n

The song was played for the jury in court on Friday. <\/p>\n

Barner said he found McCormick\u2019s address on the Duval County Clerk of Court website and later drove by his apartment along with Abdul Robinson Jr., Hakeem Robinson, and Whitaker.<\/p>\n

Barner was asked by the prosecution why they wanted to know where McCormick lived. <\/p>\n

\u201cBasically, so we can, you know, handle up after that,\u201d he said. \u201cGet everything in motion, like set something up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo accomplish what?\u201d the prosecutor asked. <\/p>\n

\u201cKill McCormick,\u201d Barner responded. <\/p>\n

Barner then testified that on the day McCormick was killed, he, Hakeem Robinson and Whitaker waited for hours outside McCormick\u2019s apartment and then followed him to a shopping plaza in a stolen Nissan Altima. <\/p>\n

He testified in detail about what he said happened next. <\/p>\n

Barner said he parked near McCormick\u2019s car and came up with a plan for Hakeem Robinson to shoot McCormick when he got back into his car to leave, so they could escape quickly. But Hakeem Robinson didn\u2019t wait, Barner said. <\/p>\n

Right when McCormick came out of the staffing agency, Hakeem Robinson jumped out of the car and started shooting at McCormick as he tried to run away, Barner testified.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did Hakeem Robinson do?\u201d the prosecutor asked. <\/p>\n

\u201cChased him,\u201d Barner said. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then did what?\u201d the prosecutor asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cKilled him,\u201d Barner said.<\/p>\n

A still image from a video shows Hakeem “Ksoo” Robinson chasing after a man that he murdered, according to prosecutors and testimony from a man who said he was the getaway driver. (Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

Barner said he didn\u2019t actually see Hakeem Robinson kill McCormick because they ran around the side of the building. <\/p>\n

Barner testified that McCormick was killed exactly one year prior to Addison\u2019s murder. Barner said Abdul Robinson Jr. was also injured in the shooting that killed Addison. <\/p>\n

Barner said after the shooting, he sped off with Hakeem Robinson and Whitaker, but a police officer quickly spotted them and a chase ensued. <\/p>\n

Barner said he eventually crashed in the area of Townsend Blvd. and all three jumped out of the car, leaving guns behind, as evidenced in scene photographs. Hakeem Robinson went one way, and Barner and Whitaker went another way, jumping fences and eventually ending up in a woman\u2019s house, he said.<\/a> After briefly holding the woman hostage, Barner testified that the two were picked up by Abdul Robinson Sr., also known as \u201cBlue,\u201d and they told him what happened on the way to his house.<\/p>\n

Barner was arrested later that day and accused of the home invasion. <\/p>\n

On cross-examination, defense attorneys questioned his credibility and keyed in on the fact that Barner lied to police when he was first brought in for questioning and didn\u2019t tell them about the shooting and denied taking anything from the home when he was trying to escape.<\/p>\n

Defense attorneys also had Barner testify that he took a plea deal in two murder cases and testified to avoid life sentences and now could be sentenced to 20 years. <\/p>\n

Whitaker\u2019s defense attorney, Julia Schlax, said Barner is a well-known paid assassin who is known to testify and cut deals with the state.<\/p>\n

Day 3 Testimony<\/b><\/p>\n

The first witness to take the stand Friday was a woman who dated a cousin of Hakeem Robinson and Abdul Robinson Jr.<\/p>\n

Robinson Jr. and Hakeem Robinson are brothers.<\/p>\n

Robinson Jr. is also charged in McCormick\u2019s murder and will be tried separately. <\/p>\n

The woman testified she drove to pick up Hakeem Robinson at an Apartment Complex in Arlington the day McCormick was murdered.<\/p>\n

She told the state she was woken up from her sleep by her boyfriend and found Adul Robinson Jr. also in her Arlington home, which is about a mile away from the shopping plaza where McCormick was murdered. <\/p>\n

She then said she was asked to pick up Hakeem Robinson from the Apartment complex on Arlington Expressway, which she says she did, then drove back to her home without speaking with Hakeem Robinson, before going back to bed. <\/p>\n

She said she stopped dating her boyfriend shortly after this happened. <\/p>\n

The woman was then cross-examined by Whitaker\u2019s attorney who emphasized the witness never spent any time with Whitaker, although she knew who he was. <\/p>\n

During cross-examination with Hakeem Robinson\u2019s attorney, the attorney pointed out the woman never went to police after the murder and it was not until April of 2022 that the witness claimed she knew something about the case, after receiving a subpoena from the State Attorney\u2019s Office. <\/p>\n

The attorney also pressed the woman on what she knew about the events that unfolded the day of the murder in January 2020. <\/p>\n

Attorney: \u201cWhen did you know that there was a murder? You\u2019ve had to have known when you saw the news later that day. Within 24 hours you knew that the murder happened, and it involved your boyfriend, right?<\/p>\n

Woman: \u201cI didn\u2019t know for sure. I just saw the death of Charles McCormick on the news.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attorney: \u201cAt the strip mall right around from your house right, the one where you claim you heard gunshots from your house, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Woman: \u201cI never said I heard any gunshots.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attorney: \u201cBecause you were asleep all morning right, and can\u2019t testify to anything that happened at your house before you woke up?\u201d<\/p>\n

Woman: \u201cCorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attorney: \u201cBut you picked up the shooter and you helped him get away, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Woman: \u201cI picked up Hakeem Robinson, that\u2019s who I picked up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attorney: \u201cAnd they\u2019re claiming he is the shooter, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Woman: \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attorney: \u201cYou picked him up and helped him get away and evade capture?\u201d<\/p>\n

Woman: \u201cI guess, if that\u2019s what you want to say. I was just picking somebody up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attorney: \u201cBecause if you claim you didn\u2019t know anything, then you can\u2019t get charged with accessory after the fact, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Woman: \u201cI didn\u2019t know anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next person to take the stand was Jason Latham, a certified forensic video examiner who assisted in the McCormick case. <\/p>\n

He conducted a forensic video review of a dash cam that recorded the murder. <\/p>\n

This was done by taking 3D laser scans of the crime scene and the suspects to collect data to create scaled models that could be compared to the images in the dash cam. <\/p>\n

Latham said based on his analysis, the shooter was at least as tall as the other suspect in the dash cam video. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is my professional opinion based on my training and my experience and the results of the body morphology analysis that Leroy Whitaker and Domonique Barner could be eliminated a possible candidate for the shooter,\u201d Latham said. <\/p>\n

He also said, based on that same analysis, Hakeem Robinson could not be excluded as the possible shooter. <\/p>\n

Kinematic model conducted by Complete Digital Forensic Solutions comparing scale models of Hakeem Robinson, Leroy Whitaker and Dominique Barner to dash cam video of the shooter. (Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.)Day 2 Testimony<\/b><\/p>\n

The first witness to take the stand Thursday was a woman who worked at a staffing agency at the Dames Pointe Plaza on Merrill Road, where McCormick Jr. was shot on Jan. 15, 2020.<\/p>\n

She described the moments leading up to the shooting, as McCormick left the business after receiving his job assignment and walked to his car.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs he was leaving, there was an individual approaching. As he proceeded to walk off of the sidewalk, he recognized someone coming towards him. He looked back and turned and started to take off running,\u201d the witness said. <\/p>\n

Prosecutors then played the frantic 911 call made by that witness, who described a shooter wearing a black mask and skull cap running across the parking lot. She also said McCormick was lying on the ground and not moving. <\/p>\n

Despite the moment of chaos, the caller said she caught a glimpse of the shooter.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has a mask on, he has a skull cap, he\u2019s running across the parking lot,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Minutes later, an off-duty JSO officer, another state witness, testified he saw a silver Nissan speed away from the scene.<\/p>\n

He followed the car, later identifying a man in all black getting out, possibly holding a rifle. But the defense said neither witness could see the shooter\u2019s face, and questioned their descriptions.<\/p>\n

Another woman who took the stand Thursday described finding two men standing in her Arlington home. She said they held her down and didn\u2019t let her leave, then took clothes and a cell phone from the home before getting into a Charger-style vehicle. She described the two men as \u201ctattoo dude\u201d and \u201csquirrelly dude\u201d. She said the man with the tattoos had \u201c1993\u2033 tattooed on his arm. <\/p>\n

She identified Dominique Barner, who was born in 1993 and is now a state witness, but said she never saw the other man\u2019s face, who prosecutors say is Whitaker.<\/p>\n

Defense attorneys argued that their client, Robinson, stands well over six feet, while multiple witnesses estimated the gunman was much shorter.<\/p>\n

Whitaker\u2019s father was in court Thursday, as well as the families of Robinson and McCormick. McCormick\u2019s family didn\u2019t want to speak, but Whitaker\u2019s father spoke on behalf of the Whitaker and Robinson families. He said in any case, he wants people to be held accountable, but he wants to see evidence. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are just going to wait for the outcome and see how it\u2019s going to be. I\u2019m going to keep my head up and my chest out,\u201d Leroy Whitaker Sr. said. <\/p>\n

Day 1 Testimony<\/b><\/p>\n

Opening statements began Wednesday with the state explaining the evidence that the jury would see to consider in determining whether to find Robinson and Whitaker guilty in the case.<\/p>\n

Assistant State Attorney Joel Cooper argued that McCormick\u2019s affiliations with local rap groups made him Robinson\u2019s target.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the traditions of both groups is producing rap music, drill rap, diss songs, that make fun of or talk disrespectfully about members of their ops,\u201d Cooper said. \u201cCharles McCormick became a target, an easy target. This was about sending a message.. because not only was it personal but it\u2019s about respect and we aren\u2019t going to let our ops sing songs like that, not about our family\u2026 that is why Charles McCormick was targeted.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first witness for the state was on the stand on Wednesday. He asked not to be shown on camera. However, dash cam footage from his car showed the moment the shooting happened. <\/p>\n

Whitaker\u2019s attorney, Julie Schlax, argued against his involvement in the shooting, mentioning the state\u2019s star witness, Barner, who admitted to driving the getaway car, would convince the jury that he was innocent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be no question whatsoever\u2026 Leroy Whitaker did not pull the trigger. Leroy Whitaker had nothing to do with the death of Charles McCormick. That\u2019s what the evidence will show, \u201cWhitaker\u2019s attorney told the courtroom,\u201d Schlax said.<\/p>\n

Robinson\u2019s attorney, Tara Kawass, turned her comments to the jury, asking them to \u201cignore\u201d the descriptions that have placed Robinson as the shooter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIgnore the descriptions given by each and every person that saw the shooter,\u201d she said to the jury. \u201cDiscredit them. Don\u2019t believe them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barner was mentioned during the opening statement by Kawass. She claimed that Barner was the one who planned and orchestrated the murder, not Robinson.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you listen to all the credible, reliable evidence in this case, it\u2019s only going to prove to you one thing, Hakeem Robinson is innocent. Find him not guilty,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Jury selection began on Monday for the McCormick murder case as the prosecution and defense try to select two separate juries for the two defendants.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, three potential jurors asked to be excused. Two cited family health concerns, and one told the court she is afraid and can\u2019t handle the pressure of a murder case of this magnitude.<\/p>\n

The case has drawn major attention \u2014 not only because of the murders, but because of the defendants\u2019 ties to Jacksonville\u2019s ongoing gang violence, involving groups like ATK and KTA.<\/p>\n

Despite those connections, prosecutors are no longer pursuing enhanced charges tied to criminal gang affiliation \u2014 a significant shift in the state\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n

Robinson and Whitaker were both in court on Wednesday, wearing suits. <\/p>\n

They were attentive, watching each potential juror closely as they answered questions from Robinson\u2019s attorney, Christopher DeCoste.<\/p>\n

More than 50 potential jurors showed up.<\/p>\n

Charles McCormick (Lil Buck) (Screenshot via Instagram)<\/p>\n

Prosecutors allege that Robinson was the triggerman in McCormick\u2019s killing.<\/p>\n

RELATED | Jail phone calls from man expected to testify against Jacksonville rapper \u2018Ksoo\u2019 in murder trial released to defense<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

DeCoste focused heavily on jury questions, asking how they view guns, and whether they can separate guns from entertainment and real life \u2014 possibly alluding to Robinson\u2019s music career.<\/p>\n

Robinson\u2019s brother was originally set to be tried alongside him, but that\u2019s changed. The brother\u2019s case has been severed and will be handled separately.<\/p>\n

Trio charged in murder trial of Charles McCormick trial delayed until summer. (Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

RELATED | Attorney for Jacksonville rapper \u2018Ksoo\u2019 may seek civil suit due to alleged jail conditions<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

The case also involves a complex web of co-defendants and witness deals. <\/p>\n

Barner took a plea deal and told investigators that Robinson wanted McCormick dead for allegedly dissing his slain half-brother, Willie Addison, who was killed in a 2019 drive-by shooting.<\/p>\n

Booking photo of Dominique Barner (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)<\/p>\n

Hakeem\u2019s father, Abdul Robinson Sr., was arrested and accused of helping them escape after the shooting. <\/p>\n

In a dramatic twist, Robinson Sr. later identified his son as the shooter after viewing dashcam footage of the incident. He\u2019s now expected to testify against his sons and nephew in court.<\/p>\n

RELATED | <\/b>Jacksonville rappers are making music videos about real murders. Police and the mothers of victims are watching<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Abdul Robinson Sr. has pleaded guilty to fleeing and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer. (Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

After the McCormick trial concludes, Hakeem Robinson will face a separate murder trial for the 2019 shooting death of 16-year-old Adrian \u201cLil Bibby\u201d Gainer Jr<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 Testimony resumed Monday in a highly anticipated Jacksonville murder trial, a day after the jury…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":91077,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5136],"tags":[52048,52049,5229,52053,52052,3188,723,52055,52047,7310,52054,52050,52051,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-99429","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jacksonville","8":"tag-abdul-robinson-jr","9":"tag-abdul-robinson-sr","10":"tag-america","11":"tag-atk","12":"tag-charles-mccormick","13":"tag-fl","14":"tag-florida","15":"tag-foolio","16":"tag-hakeem-robinson","17":"tag-jacksonville","18":"tag-ktas","19":"tag-lil-bibby","20":"tag-lil-buck","21":"tag-united-states","22":"tag-united-states-of-america","23":"tag-unitedstates","24":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","25":"tag-us","26":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114931032690769023","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99429\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}