Tow Truck Driver Shot Dead During Car Repossession in Jacksonville — Gunman Still on the Loose

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A tow truck driver was fatally shot late Tuesday night while trying to repossess a vehicle at an apartment complex in the Brentwood neighborhood, and the man who pulled the trigger is still missing.

The victim, identified by family as Oliver Lopez, was working a repossession job at the Sanctuary Walk Apartments on East 21st Street around 10 p.m. when an argument broke out between him and the vehicle’s owner.

Moments later, a man came outside and fired multiple shots at Lopez. He was rushed to the hospital but did not survive.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) has not released a description of the suspect and has not confirmed whether the shooter knew the vehicle’s owner.

A father. A business owner. A friend.

Lopez had run his own company, Oliver Towing, for over two years. His family was too heartbroken to speak publicly, but a cousin remembered him simply:

“Oliver was a very hard-working guy and a great friend, a great brother and a loving father.”

Friends in the towing industry say this tragedy reflects a dangerous reality — repo agents regularly face threats, hostility, and violence, often working alone late at night.