Rapper Julio Foolio killed in Tampa shooting: police

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Police say at least one person is dead and three injured in a shooting at a Tampa, Florida hotel early Sunday morning.

Tampa police said the shooting occurred shortly before 5 a.m. EDT in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn at the intersection of Fowler Avenue and McKinley Drive.

“We learned – early in the investigation – that two cars were shot at,” said Joneé Lewis, Tampa Police Department spokeswoman.

Lewis said one person was killed at the scene, while three other gunshot victims were taken to local hospitals. The deceased person is believed to be a man named Charles Jones, 26, but the medical examiner has not yet released a positive identification, police said.

Charles Jones is the real name of rapper Julio Foolio. Although 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 and posted a photo of him from that evening.

The rapper’s Instagram story revealed that he celebrated his birthday with a pool party at an Airbnb in Tampa before police forced him to move.

Jones’ attorney Lewis Fusco confirmed the rapper’s death to Jacksonville news station WJXT. Nexstars WFLA reached out to the Fusco Law Group for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

Jones, who also goes by Fulio, has about 952,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. According to previous news reports, Jones has been shot twice in the past three years.

Investigators believe the victims were in the hotel at the time of the shooting and were trying to get a room.

“It looks like they are surviving their injuries,” Lewis said.

Investigators are still reviewing surveillance video of the incident, Lewis said, as officers direct hotel guests to the crime scene.

No arrests have been made yet. Officers are looking for additional video footage to identify possible suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Tampa Police at 813-231-6130.