Florida-based rap artist Charles Jones attained global renown under his stage name, Julio Foolio. He was shot dead in a parking lot off Tampa, Florida, on June 23, 2024. The ambush involved multiple gunmen, and officials are investigating whether the incident is related to ongoing gang rivalries. Under suspicion are, among others, one Rashad Murphy, also known by his street name “Ghost.”
Hours after Foolio’s murder, Murphy sent a text message that has now become a focal point in the investigation. The message read: “I’m koming home my thirst is quenched!! Pop a bottle of Don Julio today.” These words are interpreted by the police as boastful, perhaps to mean triumph or disrespect during killing. Certainly most noteworthy was the reference to “Don Julio,” which is the name of a high-end tequila brand. It could symbolize celebration or mockery, adding to the gravity of the situation.
One of Foolio’s murder suspects, Rashad Murphy aka ‘Ghost’ sent out a text messageto someone hours after Foolio was killed:
‘I’m koming home my thirst is quenched!! Pop a bottle of Don Julio today’ PIC.TWITTER.COM/G9YJZD03JK
— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) AUGUST 7, 2024
Murphy’s affiliation with the 1200 gang, which has a longstanding feud with the ATK gang, is critical in this case. That feud has been connected to several violent encounters, among them the murder of Foolio. The assault, according to investigators, was part of an orchestrated attack related to this very conflict between the two gangs.
Murphy, along with several other suspects, faces charges of first-degree murder and other related offenses. Authorities have indicated that even those who did not directly pull the trigger could face severe penalties, including life imprisonment. This puts these charges and their legal implications for everyone involved in an even more serious light.
The murder of Julio Foolio was a calculated act. Instead, the killers—in this case, Murphy, Sean Gathright, and Davion Murphy—followed Foolio all the way from Jacksonville to Tampa. Surveillance footage showed suspects following Foolio before he was shot dead, which became the key evidence for the police investigation.
An investigation reveals that, on the night of the shooting, the suspects traced Foolio‘s movements through social media posts and surveillance cameras. After leaving Teasers Gentlemen’s Club, Foolio and his entourage went to an after-party at Truth 18 lounge. Now, unbeknownst to them, each and every move they made was under close monitoring.
Surveillance cameras captured a Chevy Cruze and a Chevrolet Impala tailing Foolio’s caravan, where, upon his and his friends’ arrival at the Home 2 Suites about 4:30 a.m., the Impala circled around the hotel, then looped back by the Cruze. Moments later, three hoodied and masked suspects—armed with a pistol and assault-style rifles—exited the Impala and opened fire.
In the days after the shooting, police pieced together evidence from surveillance footage, license plate readers, and cellphone records. They traced a Chevy Cruze back to a residence in Polk County connected to one of Gathright’s relatives, which led them to another cache of weapons and ammunition before connecting them to other violent incidents that happened around Jacksonville.
Rashad Murphy was later arrested outside Atlanta in a vehicle that fit the description distributed in the shooting. He tried to elude police when they pulled him over but was taken into custody and will now be charged with murder. His cousin, Davion Murphy, is still on the run with a warrant out for his arrest.
According to the Sheriff’s office of Jacksonville, no one will walk free-not even those who did not pull the trigger. Murder charges against them will be first-degree murder. Murphy’s text could be used in court to show his mindset and alleged intentions, working along the lines of the prosecution’s charges against him and other suspects involved in the case.