Florida rapper Foolio, 26, killed in car park shooting

American rapper Foolio has passed away at 26 years old after being shot in the parking lot of a hotel in Tampa, Florida.

The hip-hop artist, birth name Charles Jones, had gathered an extensive number of streams in the tens of million for his collection of music that dates back to 2017.

He died on Sunday morning while celebrating his birthday, as reported by his lawyer Lewis Fusco. When the police arrived at the scene of the shooting, they found two vehicles that had been targeted in what Fusco described as an "ambush."

Jones was declared deceased, while three other individuals are currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital close by. Law enforcement mentioned that they are investigating to determine a reason and to potentially identify any suspects involved.

Jones was praised for his tough yet heartfelt style of trap music, working with top producer Zaytoven and collaborating with rappers like Blueface and G Herbo.

When Jones revealed his new album Resurrection in April, he mentioned that despite facing many attempts on his life, he continues to survive. According to his official biography on Spotify, he tragically lost 15 friends to violence by the time he was 20, was shot during his teenage years, and spent a significant amount of time in prison as a young adult.

In 2021, he was hit by a bullet during a shooting from a passing vehicle in Jacksonville, and claimed he shot back in order to protect himself.

Jones got in trouble in Jacksonville in 2022 for having windows on his car that were too dark, as well as running away from the police, which resulted in him agreeing to six months of probation as part of a plea agreement. When questioned, he denied that his music could be held responsible for any acts of violence. He said to the officer, "You can't just say that my music is the reason someone died."