Man Charged in St. Johns County Construction Site Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, 2 Wounded
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A 20-year-old man has been charged with murder and attempted murder after a Wednesday afternoon argument at a St. Johns County construction site turned deadly.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Yovany Lopez Cobo allegedly fatally shot one man and injured two others during a physical altercation at a subdivision construction area near Courtney Groves. The victims, two of whom were hospitalized, are expected to recover.
The incident occurred around 4:26 p.m. after Lopez Cobo and a coworker argued while constructing a road. Witnesses reported seeing Lopez Cobo flee the scene in a vehicle that was later intercepted at a Love’s truck stop on State Road 206. Both Lopez Cobo and his brother were taken into custody less than 30 minutes after the first 911 calls.
Lopez Cobo is being held without bond and faces charges including second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.
Sheriff Rob Hardwick noted the community’s swift reporting of the crime and emphasized accountability, stating, “We have people in the community that don’t want to tolerate that when they witness violent crime… they know we’re going to come and do the right thing.”
The shooting marks a rare violent incident in St. Johns County, which reported zero homicides in 2025, a milestone officials had highlighted as significant for the area with over 300,000 residents.
