Julio Foolio, a Florida rapper known legally as Charles Jones, was tragically shot and killed last month, with the ambush caught on video. TMZ released surveillance footage on July 3 showing a masked gunman approaching Jones’ car and firing a semi-automatic weapon at close range in the shared parking lot of a Hilton hotel and Holiday Inn in Tampa.
Jones had been celebrating his 26th birthday before his murder. His attorney, Lewis Fusco, informed News 4 Jax that Jones hosted a birthday party at an Airbnb in Tampa on June 22, which police shut down due to overcrowding, leading to their eviction. Jones then booked a room at a nearby Holiday Inn. The attack occurred in the early hours of June 23rd.
Just hours before his death, Jones posted on Instagram Stories, mentioning the party’s premature end due to police intervention. Tampa Police Department confirmed that the shooting happened around 4:40 a.m. on June 23rd. It took place in a parking lot at the intersection of Fowler Avenue and McKinley Drive. Public information officer Joneé Lewis stated, “What we have learned, and this is early in the investigation, two cars were shot at. The victim in this morning’s shooting is believed to be Charles Jones. Positive identification is pending confirmation from the Medical Examiner’s Office.”
This incident was the fourth time Jones had been targeted in a shooting within four years. The previous attack was on October 7, 2023, when his black Dodge Challenger was sprayed with bullets. Jones sustained severe injuries and was hospitalized but reportedly did not cooperate with authorities. A graphic photo showing a bloody hole in his foot circulated online shortly after that incident.