TAMPA, Fla. — On day seven of the ongoing trial against four men accused of orchestrating the ambush murder of Charles Jones, better known as Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio, jurors heard firsthand accounts from the victim’s longtime friend.
“I hear the shots go off, did you see where the shots were coming from no ma’am, what did you do, I duck.”
Jamal Howard, known locally as “Kenny Kaps,” took the stand to recount the gunfire that claimed Jones’ life nearly two years ago.
Howard described the terrifying sequence of events outside a Tampa hotel in June 2024. The group traveled from Jacksonville to Tampa to celebrate Jones’ 26th birthday.
Their initial Airbnb pool party was shut down, forcing the group to seek local lodging.
Howard testified that after hearing shots, he did not see the gunmen and immediately ducked for cover.
The trial centers on whether the shooting was a coordinated attack by a rival gang. Prosecutors allege that the defendants tracked the group’s locations via social media.
Defense attorneys immediately targeted Howard’s credibility on cross-examination. Howard is currently held in federal custody on drug charges and probation violations from previous violent offenses, which include murder and aggravated assault.
The defense argued Howard only came forward with information about past conversations with the defendants once he faced federal sentencing, suggesting his testimony was motivated by self-interest.
‘You didn’t provide this information to law enforcement or prosecutors until you were ready to be sentenced in federal court."
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