JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The first-degree murder trial for Jacksonville rapper Ksoo (real name Hakeem Robinson) will get a new start date, the judge decided in his Duval County court hearing Tuesday morning; it was set to begin Aug. 19.
On Monday, the rapper's attorney filed a motion for continuance, which is a request to the court to have a court date postponed, citing "outstanding discovery that needs to be completed," he told the judge Tuesday.
Robinson, 25, is accused of committing two murders: the January 2020 killing of 23-year-old Charles McCormick, also known by his nickname "Lil Buck," and the 2019 death of Adrian Gainer, often referenced as "Bibby," who was 16 when he died. He's been in jail since September 2020.
Robinson is allegedly part of a gang war made up of an intricate web of Jacksonville rappers, most notably including Julio Foolio (real name Charles Jones), who was shot and killed in Tampa last month, and Yungeen Ace (real name Keyanta Bullard), who recently had his charges stemming from an April Jacksonville Beach arrest dropped by the state.
According to Bullard's arrest report from the Jacksonville Beach arrest, it states that he is "a documented ATK gang member." ATK stands for "Ace's Top Killers," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Two others are also being charged in the killing of McCormick along with Robinson — his brother Abdul Robinson Jr., 29, and Leroy Whitaker, 23, also known as ATK Scotty; the three co-defendants are all listed in a single indictment and have pleaded not guilty to charges.
The Robinsons' father, Abdul Robinson Sr., is set to testify against the three. He is accused of accessory after the fact in McCormick's murder, as well as solicitation to commit a capital felony. In an interrogation video, Robinson Sr. implicated his sons, Whitaker and another man named Dominique Barner, as being involved in the crime.
Barner is also cooperating with investigators.
The judge said on Tuesday that in the next pre-trial hearing for Hakeem, Abdul and Whitaker on Aug. 19, a new start date for their trial will be chosen. The attorneys for Hakeem and Abdul Robinson have requested that any additional discovery the state gathers in between time be presented on the date.
McCormick's murder
According to police and prosecutors, McCormick, 23, was fatally shot in Dames Pointe Plaza on Merrill Road on Jan. 15, 2020. An off-duty officer witnessed the shooting. According to a warrant, he saw a gunman stand over McCormick and shoot him with a rifle before fleeing in a Nissan Altima.
The assailant was captured on surveillance video, and prosecutors say Hakeem Robinson is the man pictured.
After the shooting, the officer chased the Nissan until it crashed and three people fled, according to the warrant. Prosecutors say Hakeem Robinson's fingerprint was found on a rifle in the car and his hair was found on a T-shirt nearby.
After the incident, the warrant says he posted mocking comments on his Instagram account, including a Lil Buck video captioned "Byeeee byeeee" with emojis of waving hands. Another post was of him getting a pedicure with the caption, "Kill a n----- then go get my toes done."
