JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Leroy Whitaker Sr. said that he is still going to support his son after he was found guilty of first-degree murder in a high-profile case.
RELATED: Jacksonville rapper ‘Ksoo’, cousin found guilty in murder case
Leroy Whitaker Jr. and his cousin, Jacksonville rapper Hakeem ‘Ksoo’ Robinson, were found guilty Thursday.
Whitaker’s jury deliberated for a little less than two hours Thursday morning, but their verdict was not read for another hour because the jury for Robinson was hearing closing arguments from his attorney.
Robinson’s jury -- made up of seven white women and five white men -- deliberated for almost four hours.
The high-profile murder case has drawn national attention amid deep tensions in the city’s rap and gang communities.
“I feel like I need an oxygen tank right now, I can’t breathe...I have never been in this situation; this is my child,” Whitaker Sr. said after the verdict was read.
After the verdict was read, Whitaker Jr. turned to his father his dad looked back and gave him a thumbs-up and forced a smile.
“You know we love him, we are going to continue to love him, I’m not giving up on him. He’s not just going to be someone who is in prison by himself, I’m there with him and continue to be there with him,” Whitaker Sr. said.
He added that the verdict hit him like a truck.
“I feel like I got hit by a fire truck, just ran into me, and backed up. Put it back in drive and ran over me again,” Whitaker Sr. said.
News4JAX attempted to speak with Charles McCormick Jr’s family but they declined to comment.
