Duval County Jury Finds Black Guilty of Attempted Murder

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury has found Akeem Black guilty of Attempted Second-Degree Murder, Attempted Manslaughter, Armed Robbery, Battery, and Improper Exhibition of a Firearm. With the verdict, Black faces up to life in Florida State Prison. The Honorable London Kite will sentence Black at a later date.

In the early morning hours of June 10, 2023, Black was in a drive-thru at a restaurant on University Boulevard when he began arguing with a female employee. He pulled out his firearm and pistol-whipped her. She took out her phone and recorded Black, who then snatched her phone and threw it in the grass. The woman alerted a coworker, who then armed himself with a firearm and escorted her outside to pick up her phone. When Black saw them outside, he fired several shots. The coworker returned fire and was hit in the thigh by Black’s gunfire. Black continued shooting into the restaurant with employees inside as he drove away. Cellphone video, surveillance video, and interviews with witnesses confirm the events. Black then showed up to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm, wearing the same clothes he was wearing in the video. His car had bullet holes and police saw his firearm and a drink cup from the restaurant in plain view. They executed a search warrant on the car, which uncovered a restaurant receipt placing Black at the business at the time of the shooting.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Marcus Isom Jr. and Donna Thurson.