A Florida jury has convicted four men of the 2024 murder of Jacksonville rapper Charles Jones, following roughly eight hours of deliberations in a high-profile case that prosecutors say was fuelled by gang rivalry and social media surveillance.

Jones, widely known as Julio Foolio, was shot dead on June 23, 2024, outside a hotel near the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he had been celebrating his 26th birthday.

Prosecutors told the court that the attackers tracked the rapper’s movements through his Instagram posts, using the information to coordinate what they described as a targeted, gang-related killing.

The four convicted men — Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, Rashad Murphy and Davion Murphy — were accused of plotting the attack as part of an ongoing feud involving Jones’ alleged gang, 6Block, and rival groups in Jacksonville.

Three other individuals were injured in the shooting.

During the trial, defence lawyers sought to cast doubt on the prosecution’s case, highlighting alleged gaps in the investigation. However, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts.

In a related case, Alicia Andrews, who prosecutors said acted as a lookout, was convicted of manslaughter in 2025.

Prosecutors have indicated they will seek the death penalty for the four men, with sentencing proceedings expected to take about a week.

The case has drawn attention to the role of social media in violent crime, particularly how real-time location sharing can expose individuals to targeted attacks.