Lil Buck

Charles “Lil Buck” McCormick Jr. (c. 1996–2020) — commonly known as Lil Buck in Jacksonville’s rap and street-culture circles — was a 23-year-old Florida man who was fatally shot on January 15, 2020 in the Dames Pointe Plaza area on Merrill Road, Jacksonville. His death became the center of a high-profile murder case tied to the city’s ongoing conflicts around the local drill-rap scene. On July 31, 2025, two juries in Duval County found rapper **Hakeem “Ksoo” Robinson** guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of Lil Buck, and co-defendant **Leroy “ATK Scotty” Whitaker Jr.** guilty of first-degree murder and burglary with assault or battery; both face mandatory life sentences with formal sentencing to be set by the court. A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office statement and the State Attorney’s public release confirmed the outcomes, which followed extensive local coverage of live courtroom testimony.

Charles "Lil Buck" McCormick Jr.

Name	Charles "Lil Buck" McCormick Jr.
Image Upright	1
Other Names	Lil Buck
Death Date	January 15, 2020
Death Place	Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Death Cause	Gunshot wounds (ambush shooting)
Nationality	American
Known For	Figure in Jacksonville’s drill-rap conflicts; victim in State v. Hakeem Robinson et al.
Notable Cases	2025 Duval County jury verdicts (first-degree murder)

Overview

In local media and court filings, Lil Buck is referenced as the 23-year-old victim in a January 2020 shooting that prosecutors connected to Jacksonville’s rap-scene rivalries. Investigators and reporters consistently identify him as Charles McCormick Jr. The shooting — in daylight near a shopping center — catalyzed a years-long investigation and multi-defendant prosecution. In July 2025, a pair of Duval County juries returned guilty verdicts against **Hakeem “Ksoo” Robinson** and **Leroy “ATK Scotty” Whitaker Jr.**, with sentencing to follow; prosecutors and JSO issued public statements on the outcome.

Early life and background

Verifiable biographical details for Charles McCormick Jr. are limited in public records and credentialed reporting. Local outlets cover his life primarily in connection with the 2020 homicide and the subsequent court proceedings. For that reason, this article emphasizes confirmed timelines, court testimony, and official statements rather than unverified personal claims.

2020 shooting of Lil Buck

Location and date

The fatal shooting occurred on the afternoon of January 15, 2020 at Dames Pointe Plaza on Merrill Road in Jacksonville. Initial reporting and later trial coverage describe an ambush scenario captured in surveillance footage and recounted by witnesses.

Investigative trajectory

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detectives, working with the State Attorney’s Office for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, developed suspects over time and linked the killing to ongoing tensions in the city’s rap rivalries. Subsequent filings and courtroom testimony described multiple individuals and vehicles, with surveillance, digital, and witness evidence used to construct the state’s case.

Alleged motive (as presented in court)

In pretrial documents and testimony summarized by local media, a cooperating witness told investigators that animus between **Hakeem Robinson** and **Charles McCormick Jr.** escalated after Lil Buck allegedly mocked the earlier death of Robinson’s half-brother. The state argued that the murder was a targeted retaliation within an ongoing feud tied to Jacksonville’s drill-rap ecosystem. (This subsection reflects prosecution theory presented in court and reported by local outlets.)

2025 trial and verdicts

Courtroom highlights

• **Testimony by Abdul Robinson Sr.** — the father of defendant Hakeem Robinson — drew widespread attention when he took the stand and, under a plea agreement, identified his son as the shooter seen in surveillance footage.
• **Lead investigator summary** — a JSO investigator walked jurors through surveillance, witness accounts, and digital breadcrumbs that prosecutors said tied Robinson, Whitaker, and a cooperating codefendant to the ambush.
• **Getaway driver/cooperator** — reporting described testimony from a cooperating participant, whose account prosecutors used to situate roles and movements before and after the attack.

Verdict and legal status

On July 31, 2025, two Duval County juries found **Hakeem “Ksoo” Robinson** guilty of first-degree murder and **Leroy “ATK Scotty” Whitaker Jr.** guilty of first-degree murder and burglary with assault or battery in the killing of Lil Buck. Prosecutors stated both men face mandatory life sentences under Florida law; the court scheduled a hearing to set sentencing.

Media coverage and public reaction

Because Jacksonville’s drill-rap scene had already drawn national curiosity, the Lil Buck case received sustained attention. Local TV stations streamed major portions of the trial — including the father’s testimony — and posted daily recaps. Social feeds carried clips from court, explainers, and context pieces tying the case to the city’s music rivalries. The verdicts prompted official statements from JSO and the State Attorney’s Office that were widely shared and quoted.

Legacy

Community memory

The name Lil Buck persists in local discourse as shorthand for the 2020 ambush and the larger wave of Jacksonville cases that blurred the line between music, neighborhood rivalries, and public safety. Memorial posts and discussions in the city’s online communities reference Lil Buck annually near the January date, often alongside debates over how local culture and social media amplify conflict. (Note: community posts can be volatile and uneven; this article relies primarily on credentialed outlets and official statements.)

In discussions of drill culture

Within broader discussions of U.S. drill culture, the Lil Buck case is cited by reporters as emblematic of how real-world violence and rap imagery sometimes feed into each other — and how prosecutors may point to social media, lyrics, or videos when laying out motive, opportunity, or identity. The 2025 verdicts gave journalists a firm endpoint to a years-long narrative that had previously consisted largely of filings, delays, and pretrial arguments.

Timeline of the Lil Buck case

Date	Event	Source
2020-01-15	Shooting of Charles “Lil Buck” McCormick Jr. at Dames Pointe Plaza (Merrill Rd., Jacksonville).
2020–2024	Ongoing investigation; pretrial motions; multiple defendants named over time.
2025-07-23	Opening statements; local outlets begin daily televised/streamed coverage.
2025-07-25	Testimony from cooperating participant (described in media as “getaway driver”).
2025-07-28	Father of defendant testifies, identifies son as shooter under plea deal.
2025-07-29	Lead investigator details evidence sequence for jurors.
2025-07-31	Guilty verdicts: Hakeem “Ksoo” Robinson (1st-degree murder); Leroy “ATK Scotty” Whitaker Jr. (1st-degree murder; burglary with assault/battery).

Key figures and agencies

Person/Agency	Role in case	Notes/coverage
Hakeem “Ksoo” Robinson	Defendant; convicted of first-degree murder (Lil Buck case).	Verdict on 2025-07-31; faces mandatory life sentence.
Leroy “ATK Scotty” Whitaker Jr.	Co-defendant; convicted of first-degree murder and burglary.	Convicted alongside Robinson.
Abdul Robinson Sr.	Witness for the state; father of Ksoo.	Testified and identified his son as shooter.
Dominique “Butta” Barner	Cooperating codefendant/witness referenced in reporting.	Described in media as getaway driver; testified under cooperation.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO)	Lead investigative agency.	Issued statement after verdicts.
State Attorney’s Office, 4th Judicial Circuit	Prosecution.	Issued public release confirming verdicts and sentencing posture.

Frequently asked questions (SEO)

Who was Lil Buck?

• • Lil Buck** was the nickname of **Charles McCormick Jr.**, a 23-year-old Jacksonville man who was killed in a January 15, 2020 ambush shooting. His death led to a widely covered trial and 2025 guilty verdicts.

Where did the shooting of Lil Buck happen?

The attack occurred at Dames Pointe Plaza on Merrill Road in Jacksonville, Florida.

What happened in court in 2025?

A Duval County jury found **Hakeem “Ksoo” Robinson** guilty of first-degree murder and **Leroy “ATK Scotty” Whitaker Jr.** guilty of first-degree murder and burglary with assault or battery. Prosecutors said both face mandatory life sentences; the court set a hearing to schedule sentencing.

Why do reporters link Lil Buck to drill-rap conflicts?

Prosecutors and local journalists described the case in the context of Jacksonville’s ongoing rap rivalries, with the state presenting a theory of retaliatory motive. Coverage stressed that social media and music-scene posts were part of the broader narrative jurors heard.

See also

• Jacksonville, Florida
• Drill music
• Hakeem “Ksoo” Robinson

External links

• State Attorney release confirming 2025 verdicts
• Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office statement on verdicts
• News4Jax verdict coverage
• First Coast News verdict coverage
• Action News Jax background explainer

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