Florida rapper Julio Foolio shot and killed in Tampa, two days after celebrating his 26th birthday

Florida rapper Julio Foolio, whose real name is Charles Jones, was shot and killed in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday, according to his attorney. The tragedy took place two days after he celebrated his 26th birthday.

In Tampa, Foolio was staying at Holiday Inn hotel. The young musician was “kicked” out of an Airbnb where he was partying with his pals, when he was “basically ambushed,” according to attorney Lewis Fusco, who spoke with News4JAX.

Foolio’s girlfriend, Mani, announced his demise on social media. “Y’all took my boyfriend from me. I hate y’all & I won’t be the only one crying,” she wrote on X However, her account now seems to be private.

According to media reports, three people sustained injuries and one person was killed in the shooting incident outside a Tampa hotel. Foolio was identified as the deceased.

The injured were rushed to a hospital and they all are out of danger.

Know more about Foolio tragedy and police probe

According to the police investigation, Foolio and his friends started finding another location to continue their celebrations after cops arrived on the spot to stop the party after it got too rowdy.

Meanwhile, two cars were reportedly parked outside the hotel when several armed men arrived and started firing on Foolio’s car.

“What we have learned, and this is early in the investigation, two cars were shot at,” Joneé Lewis, who works as a spokesperson for Tampa Police Department, told News Channel 8.

In a social media post, the rapper called his 26th birthday party “the best birthday ever”.

Was Foolio facing any life threat?

According to First Coast News, Foolio was a well-known member of the Jacksonville group KTA, which has a protracted conflict with rival gangs.

In 2023, the rapper was attacked by unknown assailants in a Jacksonville suburban neighborhood. He was shot in the foot, leaving him with a serious wound and multiple fractured bones.

Post the incident, he filed a lawsuit, claiming that UF Health nurse had jeopardized his safety by disclosing his movements.

During Foolio’s brother’s birthday party in 2018, his cousin and three teenagers died following a gang-related shooting, as per the authorities.

As of Sunday, authorities are still looking through hotel security footage and no suspect has been taken into custody.