Socialites, get into this! a suspect in the murder of Jacksonville rapper Charles Jones, known as “Julio Foolio,” was apprehended during a SWAT standoff early Tuesday morning. This latest wild incident follows the recent arrest of three other suspects involved in the tragic shooting that claimed Jones’s life.
The situation unfolded in the west side of Jacksonville, where law enforcement officials engaged in a tense negotiation with 30-year-old identified as Rashad Murphy. He was barricaded inside an apartment. After several hours of attempts to persuade him to surrender, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reported that SWAT operators employed tactical measures to force Murphy out of the building.
Murphy was taken into custody around midnight, marking the end of a standoff that necessitated the evacuation of residents from the surrounding apartment complex. He is now facing serious charges, including premeditated first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and attempted murder.
The four arrests come in the wake of the fatal shooting of Jones on June 23 at a Holiday Inn on Fowler Avenue, where he was reportedly trying to secure a room after being ejected from an Airbnb while celebrating his 26th birthday. During the incident, three other individuals were injured but fortunately survived.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw addressed the media on Monday, revealing that the suspects involved in Jones’s murder are affiliated with rival gangs, intensifying the ongoing violence in the region. Alongside Murphy, three other suspects are currently in custody, awaiting extradition to Hillsborough County.
Meanwhile while a fifth suspect, identified as Davion Murphy, remains at large.
We will continue to keep you updated as this story develops.