Charles Jones, 26, a Florida rapper from Jacksonville who goes by the stage name Julio Foolio, reportedly was shot and killed in Tampa.
Attorney Lewis Fusco, of the Jacksonville-based Fusco Law Group, which represents the rapper, confirmed to several media outlets, including 10 Tampa Bay, his client was celebrating his birthday at a Tampa-area vacation rental when the group became too large and was asked to leave.
Fusco said his client then went to another hotel, where he was shot and killed in what he called an “ambush.”
At approximately 4:40 a.m. Sunday, Tampa police were called to a shooting in the parking lot at 11606 McKinley Drive where, authorities said, four people were injured and one was pronounced dead. According to police, the three other victims, who have not been identified, are being treated at a hospital where their conditions are currently listed as stable.
“The victim in this morning’s shooting is believed to be Charles Jones,” Tampa police said in a news release. “Positive identification is pending confirmation from the medical examiner’s office.”
Eleven weeks ago, the rapper shared an ominous post with his 1.1 million Instagram followers in which he stated, “These last couple of months/years of my life been tragic… Multiple attempts on my life I keep surviving.”
On June 14, he shared another Instagram post in which he indicated the date of his Tampa “air bnb pool party” as June 21 and offered to share the address with anyone who sent him a direct message.
Speaking to reporters outside the scene on Monday, Tampa police public information officer Joneé Lewis said officers are “working to learn what led up to the shooting.”
“You can see behind me a lot of officers are here, they are talking with witnesses; they are looking for video as it pertains to the shooting,” Lewis said.
When asked if any suspects have been identified, Lewis said police still are working on getting a description of the suspect, adding, “But I can tell you that there are cameras here and our officers are working to view all of the cameras and talk with people who might have seen anything or heard anything.”
This is an active investigation and GulfLive.com will share additional information as it becomes available.
Police are asking anyone with information related to the shooting incident to contact the Tampa Police Department at 813-231-6130.
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