TPD investigating rapper death, chief addresses neighbors’ concerns after 3 deadly shootings in one week
TAMPA - Four people were shot, and a Jacksonville rapper was killed outside a Tampa hotel early Sunday morning and investigators believe it all ties back to groups in Jacksonville.
On Monday, Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said investigators are working with the FBI, the ATF and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to investigate the shooting which left Charles Jones, known as rapper ‘Julio Foolio,’ dead.
For neighbors in New Tampa, it was the third deadly shooting in the area within a week and many had questions for Bercaw at a community meeting Monday night.
Investigators believe a rap battle beef between two groups in Jacksonville turned into a gun battle on Tampa’s streets, as Jones was in town to celebrate his 26th birthday.
Police responded to the parking lot of a hotel on Fowler Ave. and McKinley Drive around 4:40 a.m. Sunday. Two cars in the parking lot were riddled with bullets.
"The indications are that the groups all came from Jacksonville," said Bercaw.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters is familiar with Jones and the ongoing feud between the groups, whose lyrics joke about real life murders.
"It ain’t cool now. It’s over now, its over for (Jones), its permanent. Now we have to deal with the mess of cleaning it up," said Waters.
He said that includes working with Tampa police and the FBI on the investigation and monitoring possible retaliation. He said their gang unit would be monitoring individuals tied to the groups.
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"If it takes us following them one at a time, we will follow them one at a time," he said.
Most of the new Tampa neighbors crowded into Monday night’s meeting had never heard of the rapper until his death on Sunday.
"They're not from our community, but it's happening in our community. The shooting that happened on Sunday, that's too close to home," said one neighbor.
But they do know how the violence makes them feel.
It comes after a violent week near the area. It started last Monday when a man was killed on Bruce B Downs. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's office is investigating.
There was a triple shooting along New Tampa Blvd. on Friday night. Two people died in that shooting.
And four people were shot outside the Home2Suites on Sunday morning, where Jones was killed.
Neighbors said the fact that the suspects and victims are known to each other doesn’t give them peace.
READ: Man arrested after decomposed body found near New Tampa storage facility: Police
"I can't comfortably sit in the parking lot because there might be a shooting. I don't want (my son) to witness it. I don't want to get in the crossfire," said one neighbor.
The Chief shared what he could about the crimes, while saying they had to protect the investigations.
"There's no evidence to show any of them are connected, and there's no evidence to show that any of these are random. I’m out here to reassure the community that we are out here in full force," said Bercaw.
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