ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The man who was shot and killed last week near a St. Johns County construction site left behind a grieving wife and two young children, according to an online fundraiser set up to benefit Joseph Manfredi’s family.
Manfredi was killed and two bystanders were wounded on Wednesday afternoon when an argument at the SilverLeaf construction site turned violent, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said.
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Yovany Lopez-Cobo, 20, was charged with second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with the shooting.
Deputies said the incident began around 4:26 p.m. when the sheriff’s office received calls of shots being fired near the Courtney Groves subdivision of SilverLeaf, around Crimson Leaf Drive and Johns Island Parkway.
According to one of the surviving victims, who was recovering from a gunshot to the leg, a co-worker, believed to be Manfredi, went to confront Yovany Lopez-Cobo regarding alleged disturbing comments he made about his significant other.
According to the arrest report, when deputies questioned Lopez-Cobo, he told them that an argument between him and the co-worker turned physical and that he shot Manfredi in self-defense.
The report also said the entire incident was captured by surveillance video. But investigators said the video told a different story from what Lopez-Cobo recounted.
The video reportedly showed Manfredi kick Lopez-Cobo in the foot and walk away. Afterwards, Lopez-Cobo was seen pulling out a gun and firing multiple shots.
“We are heartbroken to share the unexpected loss of Joe who meant so much to so many. He was taken from this world far too soon, leaving behind a family who loved him deeply especially his devoted wife and their two beautiful children,” the online fundraiser reads. “He was more than a husband and father. He was the kind of person who showed up for the people he loved, worked hard for his family, and filled every room with his presence. His children, wife and family were his world, and everything he did was for them.”
Since the fundraiser was posted on Saturday, more than $18,000 has been raised.
The organizer said the money will go toward “funeral expenses, household needs, and helping provide stability and support for his wife and children as they navigate life without him.”