On Wednesday, an Alachua County jury awarded $7.5 million to the family of Bobby Hopkins Jr., who was shot and killed in May 2021 at the Swamp Car Wash on East University Avenue.  

Hopkins family sued the car wash in 2022, claiming the owners should have put more customer protection in place—like security cameras, a fence and a gate—because of violence in the surrounding neighborhood. The car wash should have taken steps, the lawsuit said, to protect customers from criminal activity.  

The car wash owner, Kokomo Key Properties Inc., argued Hopkins had engaged in criminal activity on the property, therefore assuming the liability for his actions.  

The jury placed 75% of fault on the Swamp Car Wash with 25% fault on Hopkins. Each of Hopkins’ two children will receive $3.75 million of the $7.5 million settlement.  

The shooter, Eugene Patrick, was charged and later found guilty of second degree murder. He was sentenced in May 2023.