TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida rapper Julio Foolio was killed early Sunday morning in a shooting at a Tampa Holiday Inn, according to numerous sources.
Tampa police said the shooting took place at about 4:40 a.m. in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn at the intersection of Fowler Avenue and McKinley Drive.
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“What we have learned, and this is early in the investigation, two cars were shot at,” said Joneé Lewis, public information officer for the Tampa Police Department.
Lewis said one person was killed at the scene while three other gunshot victims were taken to local hospitals. The deceased person was believed to be a man named Charles Jones, 26, but the medical examiner has yet to release a positive identification, police say.
Investigators said they believe the victims were at the hotel trying to get a room at the time of the shooting.
“It seems like they will survive their injuries,” she said.
Lewis said officers are looking through surveillance video to learn more about the incident. They are also helping guide hotel guests around the scene.
“I only heard one (gunshot),” hotel guest Jeremiah Claypool said. “It woke me up, but apparently there were more than that.”
At this time, no arrests have been made. Officers are looking for additional video to identify any potential suspects.
Charles Jones is the legal name of Julio Foolio. While police have not explicitly confirmed the connection, the 26-year-old rapper’s girlfriend, Blanco Mani, posted the news of his death on Instagram, which is now private. She said he died after celebrating his birthday in Tampa, posting a photo of him from that night.
The rapper’s Instagram story showed that he was celebrating his birthday with a pool party at a Tampa AirBnB before police made him relocate.
News4Jax also confirmed Jones’ death with information from his attorney, Lewis Fusco. 8 On Your Side has also called the Fusco Law Group but did not get a response as of this report.
Previous news reports say Jones was injured in shootings in 2020 and 2023.
If you have information related to the shooting, call Tampa police at 813-231-6130.
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