A Hillsborough County jury has convicted four men in the premeditated murder of Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio, with one defendant becoming visibly emotional as the guilty verdicts were read in court.
Sean Andre Gathright, 20, was seen crying and lowering his head in a Tampa courtroom on Friday evening (May 8, 2026) after jurors found him and three co-defendants guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the shooting death of Charles “Julio Foolio” Jones. The verdicts came after roughly seven to eight hours of deliberation.
Gathright’s co-defendants — Isaiah Jermaine Chance, 23, Rashad Trey’Vionne Murphy, 32, and Davion Vershard Murphy, 29 — were also convicted on the primary charges. Gathright and the two Murphys face additional convictions for attempted second-degree murder in connection with other victims wounded during the attack.
The shooting occurred on June 23, 2024, as Foolio, born Charles Jones, celebrated his 26th birthday outside a hotel near the University of South Florida in Tampa. Prosecutors alleged that the men, linked to a Jacksonville gang feud, tracked the rapper via his social media posts and carried out a targeted ambush using assault rifles. Foolio was killed, and several others in his group were injured. The crime stemmed from an ongoing rivalry between the defendants’ associates and Foolio’s 6 Block crew.
Evidence presented during the approximately month-long trial included surveillance video, cell phone records, vehicle tracking data, ballistic reports, social media activity, and interrogation footage. One clip shown in court reportedly captured Gathright attempting to escape through a ceiling vent in an interrogation room after his arrest.
A fifth defendant, Alicia Andrews, was previously convicted of manslaughter in a separate trial.
The same jury will now determine the sentences for the four men in the penalty phase, which began Monday (May 12). Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Clips of Gathright’s emotional reaction in the courtroom spread quickly across social media, prompting a mix of reactions ranging from interpretations of remorse or fear to skepticism about the timing of the display.
Foolio rose to prominence in the Florida rap scene with tracks that often-referenced street life and rivalries. His death drew widespread attention in the hip-hop community, highlighting the intersection of social media, gang tensions, and the rap world.
The case has been closely followed by local Florida outlets and national media, including Court TV, due to its high-profile nature and detailed evidence tying the ambush directly to the victim’s public birthday celebration.
