In June, Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio was shot to death at his own birthday party in Tampa, Fla. The incident occurred at an address where Foolio advertised an “air bnb pool party” to his more than 1 million Instagram followers on June 14. He instructed his followers to message him for the address.
He told followers his official birthday party would be the next day at Teasers, a gentleman’s club. “Tampa Florida you already got added to the pool party,” he stated in an Instagram video.
Now, three suspects have been charged with premeditated first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of rapper Julio Foolio. All of the suspects—Isaiah Chance, 21, Sean Gathright, 18, and Alicia Andrews, 21—have pleaded not.
Another person of interest, Rashad Murphy, will have an arraignment hearing next month, according to Tampa News Channel 8. Davion Murphy, who is a fifth suspect in the crime, currently remains at large.
Chance, Gathright and Andrews are accused of working with Rashad and Davion Murphy to kill the Jacksonville rapper (born Charles Jones II) on June 23 at his own birthday party in Tampa, Fla. The suspects were arraigned in a Hillsborough County courtroom on Monday (Aug. 26).
Following the shooting, Jones and three other victims were transported to a nearby hospital, according to the Tampa Police Department, which explained in a statement they received a 911 call on Sunday around 4:40 a.m. about a shooting. He was just 26 at the time of his death.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released a statement about the tragic incident. “Our dedicated officers and detectives do not cease to ensure and provide safety and security for our city which will always be of paramount importance as we aim to deter any potential issues that may arise in the foreseeable future,” it said.
The killing is reminiscent of other recent incidents in which rappers announcing their location on social media led to their deaths. Tampa rapper Rollie Bands was shot dead in front of his home in 2022, minutes after challenging his opponents on social media.
Rapper PnB Rock was killed during a robbery at a restaurant in 2022 while having a meal with his girlfriend; it’s believed that being tagged in a social media post led the robbers to his location.
In January, Jones said on Instagram that he had survived five attempts on his life.