Suspects arrested a month after Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio was killed in deadly shooting, officials say
TAMPA, Fla. - A shooting at a cluster of hotels near USF in June left one person dead and three others injured, according to the Tampa Police Department.
Officials said the 26-year-old man who died was Charles Jones, also known by the stage name Julio Foolio.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw, Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez, and Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters announced that three arrests had been made on Monday.
The Jacksonville rapper was known for feuding with other artists and for his involvement in a deadly gang beef. Jones' songs feature violent lyrics and some were about actual murders.
"It was found that the shooters are members of, or affiliated, with rival gangs of Jones that go by ATK and 1200. Jones was part of the 6 Block Gang. Detectives believe that the ATK and the 1200 worked together to target Jones as part of an ongoing feud in Jacksonville. I want to send a clear message to anyone that the city of Tampa is not where you want to come to settle a dispute," explained Bercaw.
TPD said the feud between 6 Block and its rival gangs ATK and 1200 has spanned over a decade with dozens of murders by and against both sides.
PREVIOUS: Florida rapper Julio Foolio dead, 3 others hospitalized after shooting at Tampa hotel near USF
Officers responded to a 911 call about a shooting at 11606 McKinley Drive around 4:40 a.m. on June 23. When law enforcement arrived, they found two vehicles that had been shot at in the parking lot.
GRAPHIC: TPD releases video of Julio Foolio shooting
The Tampa Police Department released surveillance video from the day that Charles Jones, also known as Julio Foolio, was shot and killed. According to police, suspects were caught on camera following Jones from location to location before the shooting.
Prior to the deadly shooting, Jones posted on Instagram that he was in Tampa celebrating his birthday.
"Tampa, Florida you already got added to the pool party," he said in an Instagram video.
He posted later Saturday night claiming police kicked him out of an Airbnb. So he moved the party to a new location.
"Lit everywhere we go," he said on another Instagram story.
"A little more than a month ago, a group of individuals with the goal of premeditated murder traveled from Jacksonville to Tampa to commit a heinous crime in our city," shared Bercaw during the press conference on Monday afternoon.
21-year-old Isaiah Chance, 21-year-old Alicia Andrews, 18-year-old Sean Gathright, 27-year-old Davion Murphy and 30-year-old Rashad Murphy are all accused of playing a role in Jones' death.
"The feud stops here. All five of these defendants are facing life in the Florida State Prison," shared Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez. "Even the ones who didn't pull the trigger in Florida. If you participate in the planning of a murder, you can be held accountable for the person's death."
Three of the suspects were arrested over the weekend in Jacksonville.
Courtesy: Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
Chance, Andrews and Gathright were all charged with one count of murder in the first-degree (premeditated with the discharge of a firearm) and one count of conspiracy of murder in the first-degree (premeditated with the discharge of a firearm), according to Bercaw.
"Three dangerous criminals are off our Florida streets and in police custody where they belong. These individuals have chosen lives of urban terrorism," said Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters.
Bercaw said surveillance video was critical in the investigation and the suspects were caught on camera following Jones from location to location. Officials used footage from the scene, license plate readers and phone logs to piece together what happened.
According to investigators, Chance and Andrews tracked Jones and his entourage to two separate locations. TPD said, at each location, they got out of their car and Chance used a cell phone.
After using the phone, police said a second suspect vehicle arrived at each location and both vehicles followed Jones and his entourage to the Home 2 Suites located at 11606 McKinley Dr., where the murder happened.
"At 4:38, three shooters exit a vehicle and walked in the direction of the hotel. They murder Jones with a handgun and two rifles. This barrage of gunfire also struck three additional victims who miraculously survived this incident," said Bercaw.
Based on the investigation, the three shooters were identified as Rashad Murphy, Sean Gathright, and Davion Murphy.
Davion Murphy and Rashad Murphy are still on the run, according to law enforcement. The Tampa Police Department and Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office are asking anyone that could assist with the location of the two men to provide that information to investigators.
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