Rapper Charles Jones, known by his stage name Julio Foolio, was killed in the early hours of Sunday, June 23, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. Jones, who had just turned 26, was celebrating his birthday when he was fatally shot, leaving three others injured.
The Tampa, Florida police responded to gunfire reports at the Holiday Inn on McKinley Drive around 4:40 a.m. Upon arrival, officers found Jones and three other victims in the parking lot. Jones was declared dead at the scene, while the other victims were transferred to a nearby hospital in stable condition. The crime scene was marked by a black car, which had been hit by at least 12 bullets. A hotel employee described the scene as a sudden ambush, with bullets ricocheting off the building and pillars, breaking one of the hotel windows in the process.
Earlier in the day, Jones had been sharing his birthday celebrations on Instagram, including a pool party at an Airbnb, which was dispersed by police due to violation of occupancy limits. “Best birthday everrrr 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 appreciate everybody who pulled up we turnt up till we couldn’t nomo,” he posted hours before his death. After the Airbnb event, Jones moved the party to the Holiday Inn, where he was later killed.
Jones’ death was confirmed by his lawyer, Lewis Fusco, who asked for the family’s privacy during this difficult time. “He was celebrating a milestone in his life, only to have it cut short by senseless violence,” Fusco stated.
With nearly one million followers on Instagram and an equivalent number of monthly listeners on Spotify, Foolio was a significant figure in the rap community. His lyrics often depicted the brutal realities of street and gang life in Jacksonville, Florida. He had previously acknowledged surviving multiple attempts on his life in an Instagram post from April.
Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Foolio became prominent in the drill rap scene, a subgenre known for its raw depiction of urban violence. He was linked with the Jacksonville gang KTA (Kill Them All), which is in a long-standing feud with the rival gang ATK (Aces Top Killers), whose most notable member is rapper Yungeen Ace.
The conflict between KTA and ATK has caused several violent incidents over the years, including a 2018 retaliatory shooting that injured Yungeen Ace and killed three others, including his brother. Foolio was known to have escalated the tension between the groups by boasting about the killings on social media. The recent shooting in Tampa, Florida adds another chapter to the cycle of violence among Jacksonville’s drill rappers.
While no arrests have been made yet, the incident is under investigation by Tampa police, who are working to identify the individuals involved. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has also been notified due to the potential for further violence resulting from ongoing disputes between local rap factions.
Sheriff T.K. Waters stated at a Monday news conference that the sheriff’s office is closely monitoring rival groups within the city. “They know who they are,” he said.
