Foolio’s four accused killers are convicted of first-degree murder, facing life or death as prosecutors seek capital punishment.
A Tampa jury convicted four men of the 2024 murder of rapper Foolio.
The verdict came down Friday after a month-long trial that exposed the brutal reality of Jacksonville’s gang conflict spilling across state lines into Florida’s capital.
Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, Rashad Murphy, and Davion Murphy were all found guilty of first-degree murder in the June 23, 2024, ambush killing of the Jacksonville rapper at a Holiday Inn complex while he celebrated his birthday.
Prosecutors laid out a coordinated attack that involved three shooters firing dozens of rounds from two vehicles, a black Chevy Impala and a silver Chevy Cruze.
Investigators recovered 31 9mm shell casings at the scene, and surveillance footage captured the shooters fleeing the location and entering a nearby Airbnb.
The state presented text messages, phone data, and social media posts showing the defendants tracked Foolio’s movements before executing the plan.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the attack was rooted in an ongoing Jacksonville gang war between 6Block/KTA, where Foolio was a documented member, and rival gangs ATK and 1200.
The defense argued that the evidence was circumstantial and that prosecutors couldn’t definitively place each defendant at the scene or prove their specific roles.
Attorneys questioned the reliability of cell tower data and pointed out gaps in the investigation, including the lack of search warrants for some suspects’ homes.
One defense team highlighted that their client wasn’t even a documented gang member, while another emphasized the lack of forensic evidence directly linking their client to the shooting.
Foolio’s childhood friend testified about witnessing the gunfire and described hearing from Rashad Murphy after the shooting, claiming Murphy referenced being at the scene.
Bystanders and hotel guests also took the stand, describing the terror of the ambush and the chaos that followed. One woman who was shot in the arm during the attack recounted being in a car when the gunfire erupted, and hotel guests described bullets piercing their room windows while they slept.
The conviction carries massive consequences for all four defendants.
First-degree murder in Florida is a capital felony, meaning each man faces either life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or the death penalty.
Prosecutors are actively seeking capital punishment, and the sentencing phase will determine whether these men spend their lives behind bars or face execution.
A fifth suspect, Alicia Andrews, was previously convicted of manslaughter in October 2025 after a jury found her guilty of acting as a lookout and tracking Foolio’s location before the shooting, though her sentencing has been delayed pending an appeal.
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