Florida rapper Julio Foolio was shot and killed while celebrating his birthday in Tampa, multiple news outlets revealed.
The late hip-hop artist, born Charles Jones, marked his 26th birthday on Friday, June 21. He decided to stay at an Airbnb afterward to formally celebrate his special day.
His attorney, Lewis Fusco, told News4Jax that many people flocked to the venue, leading the group to be kicked out of the property for exceeding occupancy limits. Social media posts also revealed the event's location after Julio Foolio posted a tweet inviting his followers to his pool party in Florida.
We jus got to here for my pool party Tampa Florida if you already got the addy pull up at 6-6:30 pic.twitter.com/58dJPLrPMm
— ESPN 98💔 (@Espn_Foolio) June 22, 2024
After they were kicked out, Julio Foolio reportedly got a room at a Holiday Inn hotel but was shot and killed during an ambush in the parking lot on Sunday, June 23.
Tampa Police Public Information Officer Jonee' Lewis confirmed in a press release that the rapper was the victim in the shooting incident. Three other people were also injured and rushed to hospital for treatment. They are said to be in stable condition as of press time.
The department reportedly received a 911 call at approximately 4:40 a.m.
"While these events involving our client, Mr. Charles Jones, have been disclosed by law enforcement, we are unable to provide further comments at this time until additional details become public record. We kindly request that the privacy of Mr. Jones and his family be respected during this difficult time," said Fusco.
People who have information related to the incident may contact the Tampa Police Department through the hotline at 813-231-6130 or the TampaPD app's Tip411.
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Julio Foolio was not a stranger to violent incidents before the fatal shooting. Per First Coast News, the artist made headlines several times in 2020, 2021 and 2023.
His latest arrest in April 2023 saw him getting a felony charge for fleeing following a traffic stop on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, Jacksonville, Fla.
In 2021, he was grazed by a bullet in the Riverside area. He later addressed the incident in an Instagram post, telling the shooters, "Y'all miss a whole 100 shots literally."
Julio Foolio was a member of KTA, a Jacksonville gang with a long-running feud with the ATK gang.
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