Charles Jones, known by the stage name Rapper Foolio, tragically lost his life while marking his 26th birthday in Tampa, Florida.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning at a Holiday Inn where Foolio was celebrating with friends.
According to his lawyer Lewis Fusco, the rapper was shot inside a vehicle in the hotel’s parking lot in what seemed like a planned attack.
Another vehicle nearby was also hit during the ambush.
Three additional individuals were injured in the incident but are reportedly in stable condition.
The authorities are currently investigating the motive behind the attack and are working to identify the perpetrators.
On the night of his birthday celebration, Foolio was sharing moments from the party on his social media, including Instagram where he had a massive following of one million fans.
Earlier in the evening, he posted an invitation to a pool gathering and later mentioned being relocated to the Holiday Inn after being asked to leave an Airbnb by the police.
‘Survived Several Attacks’
Hours before the tragic event, Foolio expressed joy over his birthday celebration on social media, stating that it was the best one yet.
He mentioned heading to a show and invited his followers to join him.
In a past post when announcing his album release, he revealed having overcome “multiple attempts” on his life.
At the time of his demise, he had nearly one million monthly listeners on Spotify, where he had been releasing music since 2015.
‘Overcame Challenges’
Fusco described Foolio as someone who faced difficult circumstances in his upbringing but was resilient and determined to succeed against all odds.
He admired the rapper for his genuineness and considered him a close friend.