A 20-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder following a deadly shooting at a construction site in the SilverLeaf area of St. Johns County on Wednesday afternoon, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to multiple 911 calls reporting shots fired around 4:26 p.m. near Crimson Leaf Drive and Johns Island Parkway. When deputies arrived, they found three men suffering from gunshot wounds at a construction site where crews were working on a new road.
Investigators later identified the suspect as Yovany Lopez Cobo, 20, who is now charged with second-degree murder in the death of one victim and two counts of attempted second-degree murder related to two other men struck by gunfire.
One of the victims suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not yet released the victim’s name.
Two other victims were transported to area hospitals with gunshot wounds. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said both men are expected to recover from their injuries.
According to Sheriff Rob Hardwick, the suspect and the victims were all working together and knew each other through the construction business.
Investigators said the shooting happened after an argument between two of the men escalated into a physical confrontation at the job site.
During the altercation, authorities said Lopez Cobo pulled out a firearm and fired multiple shots, striking the victim and hitting two other workers in the process.
After the shooting, Lopez Cobo left the scene in a vehicle with another man.
Deputies located the vehicle about 30 minutes later. Authorities said the suspect and a passenger were detained around 4:53 p.m. while traveling westbound on State Road 206 at the Love’s Travel Stop.
Following interviews and evidence gathered at the scene, Major Crimes detectives arrested Lopez Cobo. He is currently being held at the St. Johns County Jail.
The Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit continues to investigate the incident.
