Jacksonville rapper Foolio, whose real name is Charles Jones, was tragically shot and killed early Sunday morning in Tampa.
The 26-year-old artist, known for his controversial music and strong social media presence, was celebrating his birthday the night of his death.
Incident Details
Police were called to a hotel in uptown Tampa a few hours before sunrise, responding to reports of a shooting.
Upon arrival, they discovered two vehicles in the parking lot that had been shot at.
Foolio was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Tampa Police Department.
Three other individuals were injured and are currently in stable condition at the hospital.
Investigation Ongoing
The motive for the shooting remains unclear as police continue to investigate and work to identify those involved.
Foolio’s Last Night
Foolio had been celebrating his birthday prior to the shooting.
Footage from his Instagram story shows he hosted a pool party on Saturday evening, inviting followers to join by direct messaging for the address.
Later that night, he posted about police shutting down the party and being kicked out of their Airbnb.
Jones and his group then relocated to a Holiday Inn, where the ambush occurred in the parking lot.
🚨Rapper Foolio was among four people shot in the parking lot of a Holiday Inn in Tampa, Florida.
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) June 23, 2024
Damn RIP🕯️pic.twitter.com/SWKcC0JIw8
Just hours before the shooting, Jones shared another Instagram story expressing his joy from the celebration: “Best birthday everrrr 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 appreciate everybody who pulled up we turnt up till we couldn’t nomo. We otw to the show now yall pull-up.”
A Career Cut Short
Jones, who went by the stage name Foolio, had been a prominent figure in the rap scene since 2015.
He had nearly 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify at the time of his death.
His career gained significant attention in 2021 when he went viral with a controversial track, “When I See You,” where he celebrated the deaths of his opps.
In April, he announced his latest album, “Resurrection,” and noted that he had survived “MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS ON MY LIFE.”
THESE LAST COUPLE MONTHS/YEARS OF MY LIFE BEEN TRAGIC 💔
GOD BEEN TRYNNA SEND ME A MESSAGE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS ON MY LIFE I KEEP SURVIVING..
I KEEP LOSING MY BRUDDAS TO JAIL AND GRAVEYARDS BUT I KNOW THE MOST HIGH DOING EVERYTHING FOR A REASON HE LET ME WALK AGAIN FOR A REASON🤞
MY TAPE THAT DROP TONIGHT AT 12 IS A REFLECTION OF EVERYTHING I BEEN THREW💔🤝 I HOPE YALL CAN RELATE ✊🗣️ LINK IN MY BIO 💕
See the original post below.
Legal Response
Foolio’s lawyer, Lewis Fusco, confirmed the news of Jones’ death and provided a statement about the incident, explaining that after the Airbnb party was shut down, they moved to the Holiday Inn, where Jones was ambushed.
Social Media Reaction
The sudden and violent death of Foolio has sent shockwaves through the music community and his fan base.
Read a few Twitter reactions below.
With 1 million followers on Instagram, Jones was not just a rising star in the rap world but also a beloved figure to many fans who admired his resilience and raw talent.
The investigation continues, and more details are expected to emerge.
Watch the official news report below.
Stay tuned for updates as we follow this developing story.
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Source: NBC News
Died how he lived 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾